Convent of São Francisco (Vila Franca do Campo)

The Convent of São Francisco , also known as the Convent of Saint Francis of Assissi or the Convent of Our Lady of the Rosary, is a convent in the civil parish of São Pedro, in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. Originally a monastic building housing Franciscan monks, the building was converted into a lodgings at the turn of the century.HistoryThe convent had its beginnings in a Franciscan retreat that existed at the end of the 15th century. The current complex was constructed following the 1522 Vila Franca earthquake and landslides that destroyed the town, to replace and house the Franciscan clergy that lived alongside the hilltop of Senhora do Paz.The decision to construct this building was issued on 5 July 1524, signed by John III of Portugalin Évora, who contributed funds for the project.The construct of the convent was mentioned in the work friar Agostinho de Monte Alverne, who indicated that the "famous" church was built in 1525, alongside the convent and an orange orchard. The outline of this church was, according to Gaspar Frutuoso, due to the friar Afonso de Toledo, the same that witnessed the effects of the 1522 earthquake.