The church, initially dedicated to the Holy Trinity and associated with the Benedictine monastery of Cava de' Tirreni, was built in 1176 on the initiative of Abbot Domenico Benincasa. A document from 1121 confirms its pre-existence, while in 1184 archbishop Bertrando consecrated it. In 1537, the Observant Friars Minor assumed its custody and the church was later renamed St Francis. Architecturally, the building is a significant example of Apulian Romanesque, distinguished by its three domes in axis. The central dome, elevated by an octagonal drum with small arches, and the other two domes boast a covering of local stone slabs, typical of trulli roofs. The ensemble is completed by a gabled façade and a posthumous bell gable tower.