It was built in 1613 according to the
wish of the Cardinal Scipione Borghese. It stands on the highest
place of the town, over the ruins of the castle built from one
of the several noble families that during the Middle Ages ruled
over the town. The tower of the castle was transformed in the
church's belfry.
The present form of the church is the result of several restoration
works; the façade was built by Carlo Rainaldi, even though
there are more recent studies attributing it to G. Battista
Soria (1581-1651), the Cardinal's architect. The transept,
the apse and the dome were built in 1876 by Luca Casimini. Within
the cathedral there is a painting representing the life of San
Francesco, by D. Cresti, called il Passignano, probably coming
from a nearby hermitage.
|