Quadro di Francesco Santuario di Oropa

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Quadro di Francesco — Santuario di Oropa. Fresco, ca. late 14th century. Santuario di Oropa, Biella, Italy

This sanctuary houses the famous an early painting of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi, who appear to be in confident conversation with Christ, beneath a radiant star that divides the composition.

The saint’s right hand is raised in a gesture of reverence or blessing, while Christ, holding a scroll, turns toward him with a calm, compassionate expression. Both figures bear large golden haloes against a dark background that accentuates their spiritual prominence.

Among them a large star is ornamented between its 8 points demonstrating the sanctity of both the friar and the nun. Clare holds the early Rule of the Franciscan family, while Francis seems to give her his blessing. 

Unlike other representations, both saints dress elegantly, with a beautiful detail embroidered around the entire white mantle Clare, and wide neck and cuffs for the tunic of St. Francis, in an unlikely version of his traditional brown habit.

The style—marked by linear drapery folds, the use of gold leaf, and a certain hieratic rigidity—suggests a late Gothic hand, probably dating from the second half of the 14th century. The fresco’s devotional character aligns with the art of northern Italy, particularly the Piedmont–Lombardy region, where monastic and hermitage sanctuaries such as Oropa fostered a local tradition of small-scale religious painting.

The provenance and exact date of the work remain uncertain. The painting is preserved at the Santuario di Oropa, near Biella, Italy. Stylistically, it may belong to the Gothic devotional tradition of northern Italian devotional painting. Further archival research could help to clarify its origin and the identity of its author, who was likely an anonymous regional master.

Oropa Sanctuary, is located in a picturesque valley on top of Mount di Oropa Sacred Reserve (World Heritage Site by UNESCO).