Church of San Francesco

The Church of San Francesco and its adjoining convent were founded following a papal bull issued by Pope Urban V at Avignon on 22 August 1362 and formally presented in Catania in 1364. Count Francesco II Ventimiglia established the complex on the site of the Palazzo Abbati. The first Mass was celebrated in 1370, marking the beginning of a Franciscan presence that would shape the site for centuries.

The convent underwent its first major expansion in 1598 under the guardian Tommaso Angelo, when a cloister was added. Further alterations followed during the late 17th and 18th centuries, including a grand staircase, new dormitories, a carved walnut choir and extensive stucco decoration by the Trapani craftsman Giacomo Giacomazzo. Throughout its history, the convent also served civic purposes, providing accommodation for visiting dignitaries and, at times, military troops.

Following the suppression of religious orders in 1866, the convent became the civic hospital of San Raffaele Arcangelo. Since the 1970s, the former convent has formed part of the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, where it houses the Wigner Institute. The Church of San Francesco remains open for worship, preserving the religious origins of a complex that has continued to serve Erice for more than six centuries.