The Cloister of St Francis
The Cloister of St Francis is located near the church of St Francis and,
originally, it was a convent that dated back to 1359. This convent was
destroyed in 1873 and it was later converted into a prison until 1968. Today, it is called the Cloister of St Francis because, after an accurate
renovation, it is dedicated to exhibiting space and it is also hosting the
biennial exhibition of contemporary art.
On the inside of the ancient convent, in a cavity, is conserved a fresco
that was accidentally discovered in 1997. It illustrates a circular labyrinth
in which there is the Chris Pantocrator with its bearded face and the
halo above his head, wearing a dark colored tunic and a golden cloak.
With his left hand he is holding a closed book, which is thought to be
the Holy Scriptures or the Book of Life. Whereas, with his right hand, he
is pointing to the entrance of the labyrinth. This one of a kind work has
been named "The Christ in the Labyrinth" and it is datable between the
Thirteenth and the Fourteenth centuries.