Martyrdom of St Stanislas

This Martyrdom of Saint Stanislas by Puccio Capanna, painted around 1338 as a fresco in the Lower Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, depicts the murder of the 11th-century Bishop of Kraków, reflecting the international devotional connections of the Franciscan order. Puccio Capanna was a close follower of Giotto who continued working in Assisi after the master's departure, contributing to the ongoing decoration of the basilica. The choice of a Polish saint at this Italian pilgrimage site reflects the Franciscans' pan-European missionary network.

Fresco technique (buon fresco) on plaster, not tempera on panel as catalogued. The composition follows the Giottesque narrative mode with solidly modeled figures set against a simplified architectural backdrop, using the broad, confident brushwork required by the wet-plaster technique.