A few meters from the Villa Comunale, stands the convent complex of St. Francis of Assisi formed by the church, the cloister and the monastery. In the fourteenth century the Franciscan friars built a church on the site of the ancient oratory founded by St. Antonino, later modified in Baroque style. Completely remodeled in the early eighteenth century, it retains the architecture of that time except for the white marble facade dating back to 1926, and the inlaid door of the sixteenth century. The interior has a single nave with rich stucco decorations and preserves a 17th century wooden statue of St. Francis and, on the high altar, the painting of St. Francis receiving the stigmata (1735) by Antonio Gamba, a pupil of Solimena. Near the church stands the Benedictine monastery founded in the 7th century and given to the Conventual friars in the 14th century who still live in part of it today. Of note is the fourteenth century cloister with its arched structure, a harmonious fusion of different styles due to the restoration of the various eras, with a picturesque location of plants and flowers. In addition to its beauty, the cloister is famous for hosting art exhibitions, shows and musical events of the Sorrento Summer.
