The Basilica of San Francesco is widely acknowledged as one of the great masterpieces of Christian art: an austere Franciscan architecture, encasing the fresco cycle Legends of the True Cross by Piero della Francesca. Its presbyterium underwent profound transformations throughout its history, showing an ever-changing relationship between liturgical practices, art and architecture. 

Each significant phase of the church’s development will be briefly outlined, showing an overall tendency - especially from the late 1800s onwards - of separating the space of the main chapel from the nave. This disjointment is arguably the most evident feature of the church’s present configuration.