ITALY, Day 8, July15, 2011

ITALY, Day 8, July 15, 2011

After stashing all our luggage on the bus once again, we went off, hurtling towards the famous Assisi, switching from the province of Tuscany to the province of Umbria. It is the birthplace of both St. Francis and St. Clare. St. Francis is Italy’s premier saint and founder of the Franciscan order, which, with its various splinter groups, forms the world’s biggest religious order. Francis was born in Assisi in 1182. The town contains the Basilica of St. Francis, one of the greatest monuments to 13^th and 14^th c. Italian art. It is justifiably famed as Umbria’s greatest glory, with one of the most overwhelming collections of art outside a gallery anywhere in the world. It was started in 1228, two years after Francis’s death, and financed by donations that flooded in from all over Europe.

Before going to the upper and lower basilica, we went to St. Mary of the Angels church, as there was a small chapel there that St. Francis had built in reverence to God. It emanated an aura of great peace and calm, and was placed squarely in the middle of the nave. The surrounding walls of the church fell away like chaff in the presence of this very moving tribute of simple faith.

Awaiting our tour of the upper and lower basilica of St. Francis, we all went our separate ways, and Nancy and I went in and out of shops. I bought a biography of St. Francis in German, as well as his “Lord Make me and Instrument” prayer and “Canticle of St. Francis.” While we ate lunch at a local sandwich shop, I read Nancy another little brochure I had picked up concerning St. Francis facts and legends.

Eventually, we meet a Franciscan brother (James), a very gentle and kind man originally from Connecticut. The Lower Church, down the steps to the left, is the earlier of the two structures. The complicated floor and claustrophobic, low-lit vaults were intended to create a mood of calm and meditative introspection, an effect added to by the presence of brown-robed monks, a ban on photography, and a rule of silence. Francis lies under the floor in a crypt only brought to light in 1818.

Frescoes cover almost every available space and span a century of continuous artistic development. Cimabue, Lorenzetti, and the great Giotto were particularly well represented.

The more straightforward Upper Church, built to a light and airy Gothic plan that was to be followed for countless Franciscan churches, is a completely different experience. “St. Francis Preaching to the Birds” by Giotto holds prime position there, and was painted when he was still in his 20s, when he accepted the commission. However, due to an earthquake in 1997, as well as the high humidity in Umbria, lots of the beautiful paintings have either flaked away or have come away from the walls or ceilings entirely. It is a pitiful sight to behold, as so much is gone and nothing is acclimatized in the church, as the large front doors were entirely open to the public. I posed the question of whether the government had begun proceedings concerning acclimatizing the building, and he acknowledged that action needed to be taken, but that nothing has happened as yet. A pity!

We left for our next hotel, in Assisi—La Terrazza. It is nestled in the olive groves of Assisi’s hills, and overlooks the Umbrian valley, known for its soft mornings and sunsets which give the stones of the building, the so-called “pietra rosa” of Mount Subasio, a beautiful reddish color. There are 26 rooms in the hotel, and it is air-conditioned (much welcomed at this point!!!) and there is a swimming pool. Tonight, for dinner, we had ravioli salad, brisket with French fries and beans, and a custard with currants for dessert.

And now I am finally caught up, at least for now, with my blog, and it has taken me almost four hours to finish it. I hope to be able to continue to get these daily news reports in on time from now on. With best wishes, Sylvia