St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Rhodes

St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral
Cathedral of St Francis of Assisi
Εκκλησία του Αγ. Φραγκίσκου της Ασίζης
The cathedral in 2009
St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral
Location of the cathedral in Greece
St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral
36°26′21″N 28°13′30″E / 36.4393°N 28.2250°E / 36.4393; 28.2250
LocationCity of Rhodes, Rhodes, South Aegean
CountryGreece
LanguageGreek
DenominationRoman Catholic Church
Sui iuris churchHoly See
Religious instituteFranciscans
ChurchmanshipLatin rite
History
StatusCathedral
DedicationFrancis of Assisi
Architecture
Functional statusActive
ArchitectArmando Bernabiti
Architectural typeChurch
GroundbreakingSeptember 20, 1936
Completed1939
Administration
ArchdioceseRhodes
Clergy
Archbishopvacant (as of December 2025)

The St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral (Greek: Εκκλησία του Αγ. Φραγκίσκου της Ασίζης, romanizedEkklisia Agios Fragkiskos),[1] also called the Catholic Cathedral of Rhodes, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the city of Rhodes, of the island of Rhodes, in the South Aegean region of Greece.[2] The church is situated near the gate of St. Athanasius, between the two districts Acandia and St. John. The church is the seat for the Archbishop of Rhodes.

Overview

On September 20, 1936 the first stone was laid in the presence of Archbishop Giovanni Castellani and the Italian governor of the Dodecanese, Mario Lago. The works for the construction of the church, designed by architect Armando Bernabiti, ended in 1939. In 1940 the church was equipped with an organ and enriched with 14 terracotta bas-reliefs depicting the Stations of the Cross, the sculptor Monteleone.

The frescoes on the walls of the choir were painted by Pietro Gaudenzi. On the ceiling above the central altar, a cross rises, around which symbols of the four evangelists are arranged symmetrically. Gaudenzi also are the paintings on the side altars representing, respectively, the Annunciation and St. Maurice.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi". gcatholic.org. 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  2. ^ "Chiesa di San Francesco di Assisi". www.catholicchurchrhodes.com (in Italian). Retrieved September 3, 2016.

Media related to Ekklisia Agios Fragkiskos (Rhodes) at Wikimedia Commons