San Francesco d’Assisi a Regola was a 16th century hospice church that used to stand on the east side of the north end of Ponte Sisto. This location is in the rione Regola.
The dedication was to St Francis of Assisi.
History
Edit
The Ospizio dei Mendicanti was founded in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V as a hospice where homeless tramps and beggars could live. It was a small institution, but was still given a full-sized church. The administration of it was entrusted to the Knights of Malta.
The complex was demolished to make way for the Lungotevere dei Vallati in 1885, and the fine wooden ceiling of the church was transferred to Santa Caterina della Rota.
LocationEdit
The church was right against the bridge, with its right hand wall on the river. It must have been damp at times.
The site is now taken up by the pedestrian sidewalk of the Lungotevere on the river side, plus the lane of the highway next to it. The line of the façade is marked by the western edge of the pedestrian crossing there, which continues the line of the frontages of the buildings on the east side of the Via dei Pettinari.
AppearanceEdit
The plan was a simple rectangle, rather narrow, with no apse.
The main altar had an altarpiece showing St Francis, and there were two side altars dedicated to Our Lady and St John the Baptist who is the patron of the Knights of Malta. Near the main altar was a depiction of Pope Sixtus V as founder of the institution.
