Gran Via de San Francisco 8

The Basílica de San Francisco el Grande, a Classicist building from the 18th century, was built on an old convent which legend says was founded by San Francisco de Assisi in the 13th century. This new church was built by King Charles III of Spain; it was originally designed by Francisco Cabezas in 1761 and completed by Francisco Sabatini and Miguel Fernández in 1784. It has a sober, vertical façade and the most notable feature of the building’s exterior is its huge dome, 33 metres in diameter.