Yesterday we got an introduction to “Assisi’s home boy” as Rick Steves refers to him, St. Francis. We also learned a little about St. Clare. Today we were to fill in the details of both their lives by visiting the other localities in the area where they worked or lived.
First stop was down in the valley below Assisi, the Basilica De Santa Maria degli Angeli-Porziuncola, the 10th largest basilica in the world built by the church on the spot where Francis built a small chapel and did a fair amount of his work, and where he passed at the age of 46. Its kind of weird, but also a tribute to Francis that they built the basilica over his original chapel, leaving the chapel intact, which now sits dwarfed inside the basilica in the transept. The exact spot where he died is also preserved, just behind the chapel. This we had to go see for ourselves.
We caught the 7:30 city bus from Piazza Matteotti, at the top of the town, down the twisting road back to the train station. From there we walked the ten minutes to the basilica. There is a lot of exterior renovation going on, which we walked by to get to the west facing entrance. The basilica is in a newer urban area with shops and parks along the street. It is about a mile across the flat bottom of the valley to the basilica so it is surrounded by flat ground.
The most striking visual when you enter is this small church standing inside this massive basilica under the dome. A church in a church. Nothing says give up materialism like building the tenth largest basilica on top of the one the saint who shunned material wealth built that is 15’ 20’.
Elsewhere in the basilica there is a fair amount of paintings on the walls and ceilings, but there are still many white panels on the walls and ceiling aching for a budding artist to fill them.
We were there pretty early, yet there were probably 30-40 people inside. We walked up to the small chapel to find a group of white robed monks chanting in unison. Maybe I’ve seen the Da Vinci Code too many times, but a group of white robed men chanting in unison is unsettling to me.
We walked behind the right corner of Francis’ chapel and found the gated area marking the exact spot where Francis died. Two Franciscan monks were there, paying their respects.
We wandered around the inside of this massive basilica looking at the side chapels and reading a bit of their history, taking note of the confessionals in use.
About half an hour had passed and the number of people had greatly increased, especially the number of brown robed Franciscan men, now numbering about 50. We headed to view the rose garden. Unfortunately, we had delayed too long and were now stuck behind a tour group of about 50, choking the narrow passageway. We patiently shuffled along with them, passing when it seemed appropriate. Most of them were summoned into a side chapels of note, giving us a chance to pass. We worked our way through the maze of hallways and finally exited out to the front plaza. A potty stop off to the left and a photo op of the front of the basilica and we were hoofing it back to the train station to catch the bus back toward Assisi.
Mental lapse time: I had just had my bus tickets stamped when we boarded the bus. They are good for 90 minutes. Less than 90 minutes had passed. Sally and I walked across the street from the train station to same news stand as Thursday and bought bus tickets. Didn’t need to. €2.60 I’ll never see again. 😟
I asked the bus driver if this bus could drop us off at the road down to San Damiano. He said of course. San Damiano is the church where Francis had his first miracle, God spoke to him through the crucifix in this partially destroyed church, telling him the church needed repair. This was the first church Francis put back together. It is also the church St. Clare lived in for 40 years and died in. From this spot she worked with the “Poor Clares”, her group of women.
Watching on Maps on my iPhone I saw we were approaching the road down to San Damiano so I walked up to the driver. He stopped the bus at the intersection even though there was no bus stop there and let Sally and I off. We walked the half mile down the steep hill, arriving at about 9:30. The church didn’t open until 10:00. During the next half hour as we waited about 100 people gathered. There must have been a large tour group from a church because they started a liturgical dialogue for about 15 minutes. I am as uncomfortable with that as I am with chanting men in white robes. 😕
We were near the front of the crush of people and were about 10th in the door when it opened. The first room on the path through the church is the chapel Francis rebuilt. Many of the first older women entering scurried past us to obtain a seat here. We moved ahead on the path laid out by the church, ahead of the crush. We passed thru eating and sleeping areas and areas of study. Upstairs we found a Franciscan monk who stamped our credentials, then past the exact spot where Clare passed, then it was down to the cloister, around it and out the door. We wanted to see the original church, and we had. No reason to linger.
It was a tough climb back up the hill, and we reentered Assisi through the eastern lower portal. We returned to our apartment and had an early lunch. Next on the agenda was to visit Francis’ “hermitage”, an important retreat for Francis and his disciples about 1200’ up the side of Mt. Subasio.
We took a ten minute taxi ride up, toured this “mountain retreat” for half an hour and then walked the 3 miles back down on the road.
The retreat has been enlarged in the intervening 800 years since Francis’ death, but is still quite primitive. Each of his disciples had a “cave” that they slept in. They were very small with tiny openings we had to squeeze through. It was the kind of place I would have loved to play in with my friends when I was a kid. Hidy holes and secret passages everywhere. The newer parts are all made from stone. Very impressive. Still used today.
It took us less than an hour to get back to town. We walked to Piazza Comune for a beer, a Coke and a pastry and to people watch from our table outside in the square. Saw a table at the same place we were that had a group of 6 high school boys and 3 high school girls. Equivalent to a group of US kids at McDonalds only much higher class to be in the piazza outside, but the body language, flirting and uncomfortable looks for reactions to actions and statements were the same. Entertaining to watch.
When we returned to our room Sally took a nap. I cooked boiled eggs for tomorrow’s breakfast and Monday’s breakfast. Tomorrow is Sunday and we are not sure anything will be open so I am carrying lunch, dinner and breakfast to get us through tomorrow.
We promised ourselves one meal out in Assisi. Tonight or never. We went out early by Italy standards, about 6:00pm. Had a nice dinner on the Piazza de Comune. Inside. Too cold to eat outside. Lasagna, salmon salad and grilled vegetables. Lasagna made with pork was excellent, as was the salmon salad.
Back by 7:45pm. Sally did more research and I went to bed hoping to finally get some sleep. I did. Slept from 8:30 to 6:30. So nice.
Church within a church
Church within a church
St.Francis’ basilica at night
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