Vanni was part of a family of painters, including his half-brother
Ventura Salimbeni and stepfather
Arcangelo Salimbeni, the latter of whom died when Francesco was young. As a 16-year-old, Vanni went first to
Bologna, then to Rome. He apprenticed with
Giovanni de' Vecchi during 1579–80, also being influenced, like other Tuscan painters of his day, by
Federico Barocci from
Urbino. Vanni was among the last painters who reflected the influence of the
Sienese School of painting. In Rome, he worked later with Salimbeni,
Bartolomeo Passerotti, and
Andrea Lilio. Among his patrons was Cardinal
Cesare Baronio, who introduced Vanni to
Pope Clement VIII and later Cardinal Chigi, later Pope
Alexander VII. Pope Clement VIII would honor Vanni with membership in the order of Knights of Christ. This pope also commissioned Vanni to paint the altarpiece depicting
Simon Magus rebuked by St. Peter for the
St. Peter's, later transferred to mosaic. He painted several other major altarpieces in Rome including a
St Michael defeats rebel angels for the sacristy of San Gregorio; a
Pietà for
Santa Maria in Vallicella; and the
Assumption for
San Lorenzo in Miranda. Returning to Siena, where he ultimately died, he afterwards worked at
Parma,
Bologna, and again at Rome. At Siena, he painted a
S. Raimondo walking on the Sea for the church of the Dominicans. Vanni painted a
Baptism of Constantine (1586–87) for the church of
San Agostino in Siena. He painted a
Christ appearing to St. Catherine for the chapel of il Refugio at the
Sanctuary of Santa Caterina di Siena, and a
Baptism (1587) for the former church of
San Giovannino e Gennaro, Siena. He painted an
Immaculate Conception (1588) for the
Montalcino Cathedral and an
Annunciation (1589) for the church of
Santa Maria dei Servi in Siena. He painted a "Crucifixion with Father Matteo Guerra" for
San Giorgio. He was active as a printmaker and etched three devotional prints after his own designs. He was further the publisher of a large 4-plate map of Siena which he had designed himself and had engraved by the Flemish engraver
Pieter de Jode the Elder. He applied in 1595 to Lorenzo Usimbardi for help in obtaining financial support in the publication of the map. The painter from Perugia,
Benedetto Bandieri, claimed to be a descendant of Vanni. ==Gallery==