Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10. LABYRINTH AND BUFANO ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Just beyond the entrance is the nave labyrinth, and an appealing statue of St. Francis
of Assisi by the late San Franciscan sculptor Beniamino Bufano.
View photo
Nob Hill
“Nob” was one of the kinder names reserved for the unscrupulous entrepreneurs
who built their mansions on this, San Francisco's highest hill (for further details
see
Nob Hill
). Some say the name derives from “nabob”, the title for a provincial
potentate in India; others say it's simply a contraction of “snob”, a theory that
would also seem plausible. Despite the loss of almost all of the mansions in the
1906 earthquake, the hill's poshness remains, as home to the city's most celeb-
rated luxury hotels.
Tip:
The cathedral has a simple café, located downstairs on the south side of
Cathedral Close, along with a shop.
Tip:
Visit the cathedral during Thursday Evensong (at 5:15pm), when the
lighting is at its most dramatic, especially in the summer.
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