The church, in existence since the thirteenth century, was initially dedicated to St. Matthew and only in 1256 was named for St. Francis of Assisi who, according to tradition, frequently attended it. Beginning in 1796 the ancient structure was completely modified according to a project by the architect Andrea Vici. The works, which lasted several years, were supervised by Giovanni Bettini and Vincenzo Vitali. In 1856 the building was reopened to the public but it was still without the facade, which was only built by the civil engineer Giovanni Bertucci in 1886.
The three entrance doors, with architraves and simple frames, are complete with stucco decorations of five pilasters with capitals.
The interior is in neoclassical style consisting of a single nave on either side of which are four apsidal chapels. The apsidal basin is decorated with frescoes dating back to the eighteenth century, while the sacristy and the chapel of St. Matthew preserve the fragmentary fresco decoration of the fourteenth century.