ASSISI, ORVIETO and CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO

Michelle and I got an early start - 7:30 a.m. - since Anna had brought over her car the night before. We headed out on Monday for our 15 hour day! She drove and I handled the iPad that Anna had loaned us to use as a GPS. I don’t think we would have even gotten out of Rome without it!! Our first right turn ended us right back in the parking lot!! 

Finally we headed out on the Autostrada north towards Florence. We headed off the exit on side roads headed to Assisi, up in the Umbrian hills. The early origins date back to the Etruscans and Roman times. There are several Roman ruins here, traces of a theater and amphitheater as well as some part of the ancient walls and Forum. 

During the Middle Ages it was the scene of strife and civil war. Nearby Perugia overcame Assisi and took many prisoners. Finally in 1500s, Pope Paul III placed the city under the Papal States which last until Italy became a unified country in the 1800.

Assisi from a distance

Old boat in front of St. Francis Basilica. No idea why!!

Carousel in front of St. Clare's basilica

Courtyard near St. Francis Basilica

Lusscious divinity window!

And more!

Divinity kebobs!!

Basilica of St. Clare

Our waiter at lunch!

Views of the Umbrian Valley

PAX outside the Basilica

Fountain in the Piazza del Comune

Love these trees!

Santa Maria sopra (over) Minerva - first a Roman temple; church built over it.

Church of St. Clare

Lots of steps!

Basilica of St. Frances, where he's buried.

Lots of famous art work!

Narrow medieval streets

Picturesque buildings

Narrower and narrower!

Bell tower and Minerva temple

Courtyard outside Basilica

It’s most famous citizen was born in 1181. His father was a cloth merchant. In his youthful years Francis enjoyed plenty of money, good times and became enthusiastic about a military career. He soon came to realize this was not his calling and returned to Assisi in 1205. He had been captured in Perugia and spent one year. He came back a changed man. 

After one festive evening, he told his friends he felt inspired to espouse a life of poverty! He wanted to share his earthly possessions with the poor, and spent much time in prayer. One day, in the dilapidated church of St. Damian, he heard, “Francis, go and repair my church which you see is falling into ruin.”  He immediately began to gather materials and raise money, including taking cloth from his father’s store to sell, to give to the priest at St. Damian. His angry father took him before the Bishop and a gathering of people. Francis stripped off his own clothes and gave them back to his father, saying God alone would now provide for his spiritual and even material needs. As he ran away, he grabbed an old robe and rope for covering. This became his only material possessions.

Old Roman arch

Beautiful!

Gallery all of paintings of John Paul II

View over the walls

Lit a candle here

Pulpit and altar

St. Clare

St. Francis

Francis originally interpreted God’s message to physically fix the church of St. Damian. But he later realized it was the church organization in Rome and throughout the Christian world that needed fixing. It was becoming too rich, too powerful, too corrupt and needed fixing. Some historians have said his return to a more Christ-like life, and his followers, delayed the Protestant Reformation by about a century. 

His message caused a stir. Not only did he follow Christ's teachings, he followed Christ's lifestyle, living as a poor wandering preacher. He traded a life of power and riches for one of obedience, poverty and chastity. He was never ordained a priest.

He and his brothers (friars) slept in fields, begged for food and exuded the joy of non-materialism. He promoted peace and restoration of order. While the church waged bloody Crusades, he pushed ecumenism and understanding. His message had an impact. 62 years after his death, at age 45, a Franciscan became pope (Nicholas IV). This place became a pilgrimage center since the 1200s. 

The Franciscan movement began, later with the approval of the Pope, and Clare of Assisi (in 1212) founding the Poor Clares - the Second Order of St. Francis. They set out on their missionary calling to preach the Gospel in foreign lands. He did this until 1221 when he spent more time bak in Assisi. In 1224, after a period of particularly intense prayer and penance, he received the marks of the stigmata, or wounds of Christ Crucified on his hands, feet and in his side. He died around On July 16, 1228, Pope Gregory IX declared Francis a saint and they began construction of this church where he was buried in the Lower Basilica. Later the huge Basilica of St. Francis was built above it. 

We visited the lower basilica after wandering through the town from the parking, This took us through a tunnel past some of the Roman ruins. This hillside town is very picturesque with narrow streets, steps and archways. We stopped in a tourist information place to see about getting a guide but no luck; we were on our own, with just Rick Steves’ guidebook. 

We headed to the Basilica and went to the Lower one where St. Francis’ tomb is. Pictures weren’t allowed so my photo is from the book I purchased there about Assisi. I read somewhere that at one point, his body was exhumed so the stigmata could be verified, and was. His body in the sarcophagus was hidden in 1230 making it inaccessible and safe from any violation. In 1818 after 52 nights of digging, the Friars, authorized by Pope Pius VII, opened up the area in which the stone sarcophagus lay. It was redesigned and opened to the public and then the crypt was replaced in 1932 with this design. Nearby his first 4 disciples are buried, as well as the noblewoman, Blessed Jacopa dei Settesoli, a devout benefactress of St. Francis, who was turned away on his deathbed because she was a woman, but called back by Francis. He is the patron saint of Italy. 

We wandered through the rest of the Lower and then the Upper Basilica with wonderful stained glass, statues and frescoes and paintings by famous artists such as Giotto. BTW, I forgot to mention the Franciscans also wear a rope belt with 3 knots to remind them of the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience. Francis tried to live as Christ lived. Thousand of disciples followed him during his life and continue to this day. 

In one of the rooms was the Chapel of the Relics. Here are the tunic and kaput worn by St. Francis, all patchwork; a hair shirt used by him for penance - he thought he was the worst sinner of all; sandals made by St. Clare and worn by him when he was sick; a piece of chamois leather from the wound of the stigmata on his side; a white tunic worn during the last year of his life, a linen cloth, a gift from Jacopa dei Settsoli, a noble lady of Rome, used to wipe his brow in his last agony, and other relics. The two most precious are the Franciscan Rule of 1223, approved by Pope Honorius III, considered the Magna Charta of the Franciscan movement, and the Blessing given to Brother Leon in the Saint’s own handwriting. 

All in all it was quite a spiritual place. Down near the crypt was a Franciscan priest giving you a blessing, which we took. And also you could get holy cards of St. Francis and St. Clare. 

We then headed off to find a wonderful restaurant with an outside table with a gorgeous view of the valley around Assisi. We had a lovely glass of wine and delicious lunch! Unusual for my travel, the food in Italy has been a highlight!! 

We then went back to the car, stopping at St. Clare’s cathedral on the way that was also beautiful. As we headed across the countryside we stopped to take photos looking back on Assisi. Very well worth the visit! I had cancelled our stop with Angie and Cathy on our way from Siena to Cerrito Sannita because we were meeting David on Friday instead of Saturday. So I was glad we were still able to fit it in later in the trip, thanks to Anna and her loan of her car! It would have been complicated to get there with public transportation and taken much longer. 

We headed to Orvieto, recommended by Rick for the beautiful cathedral, another Tuscan hill town. We had a hilly drive, through rain, to get there, and Michelle did a great job driving!! We parked outside the town and hopped the bus to get to the center of town.