Description of the attraction
The Church of St. Francis is halfway down Ethnica Antistaseos, one of the streets leading to the Old Town from the Guora Gate. The church is one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in the city of Rethymno.
The temple originally belonged to a Franciscan monastery. The building is structurally a single-nave basilica with a wooden roof. The windows and the main entrance on the north side of the first floor were apparently made later than the rest of the building. The doorway is of particular architectural importance due to its intricate Renaissance and Corinthian decorations. To the east of the church, there are two ancient chapels, parts of the monastery complex.
During the Ottoman occupation, the Turks turned the temple into an almshouse. Subsequently, the Church of St. Francis was carried out significant work on reconstruction and restoration, now it is sometimes used as an exhibition hall.
