Crypt

The crypt houses the sarcophagus containing the relics of St Francis, which was translated to San Francesco on 25th May 1230.  This sarcophagus can still be seen in what was probably its original location, behind an iron grill in a chamber cut into the bare rock under the high altar of the lower church.

Translation (1230)

Pope Gregory IX could not attend the ceremony of translation in person because he was involved in peace negotiations with the Emperor Frederick II.  However, many other dignitaries must have been present at the ceremony, which was timed to coincide with the meeting of the Franciscan General Chapter at Assisi.  The early biographies of St Francis make no mention of anything untoward during the ceremony, but the Pope issued a furious bull (Speravimus hactenus) on 16th June in which he threatend the friars of San Francesco and the civic authorities with dire punishment for having disrupted the proceedings.

Fortunately, the Pope was soon placated, and the threatened punishments did not materialise, probably because the offenders were able to justify their actions.  The most likely explanation is that they had lost control of the crowd and that they had had to bar it from San Francesco during the interrment.  The Pope probably received the first news of these events from disgruntled cardinals returning to Rome, and he seems to have fired off his complaint without waiting for further explanation.

Hidden Tomb

It is unlikely that the tomb of St Francis was ever accessible to pilgrims: the altar above probably served as a surrogate burial locus, although the grate in the altar steps (which still survives) probably directed their attention towards the actual burial spot.  Certainly by the end of the 14th century, detailed knowledge of the precise location of the sarcophagus had been lost. 

A 15th century account has Pope Sixtus IV venerating the relics (on which the stigmata could still be seen ) in ca. 1476, before ordering that the tomb should be sealed, but this can probably be discounted.

Rediscovery of the Sarcophagus

After unsuccessful attempts to locate the sarcophagus in 1755 and 1802, it was finally located in 1818.  This led to the construction of the present  crypt, which was designed in 1822 by Pasquale Belli.  Only from this point could pilgrims to San Francesco see the sarcophagus of St Francis. 

The crypt was remodelled in neo-Romanesque style by Ugo Tarchi in 1925-32.  The tombs of four of St Francis’ early companions, Brothers Leo, Masseo, Rufino and Angelo, were moved from the lower church to niches in the curved back wall of the crypt.  The monument to the Roman noble woman, Jacopa de’ Settesoli, whom St Francis dubbed Frate Jacopa, was moved from the lower church to the junction of the two flights of steps that lead to the crypt.

Read more:

D. Cooper, "In loco tutissimo et firmissimo: the Tomb of St Francis in History, Legend and Art", in W. Cook (Ed.), "The Art of the Franciscan Order in Italy", Leiden  (2005)