Our Assisi Highlights "It is not down in any map; true places never are." - Herman Melville
Santa Maria degli Angeli
The church was built between 1569-1679.
It marks the spot where Francis did much of his work.
The church provides shelter for two other buildings: 1) The Porziuncola, a chapel from the 9th century that Francis literally rebuilt and used to found his order in 1208, 2) Cappella del Transito, the place where Francis died in 1226.
The Basilica of St. Francis
The basilica was built between 1228-1253.
The church contains two levels. The lower level highlight is the tomb of St. Francis upon which this church was built. No pictures allowed, but the lower nave has a warmth and simplicity that reflects the life of Francis.
The brighter upper nave contains 28 Giotto frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. The scenes emphasize his rejection of materialism in pursuit of a life of service to all mankind. This was a new path for a church caught up in power and treasures. It took a while for the church to accept Francis' teachings.
Basilica di Santa Chiara
Clare was a contemporary of St. Francis. The church celebrates her life and her founding of the Poor Clares, a sort-of female Franciscan group.
Left - The church contains the crucifix often used by St. Francis in prayer.
The remains of the Clare, basically a skeleton, were brought to this church in 1872. Covered with wax, her museum-like remains are on display.
Clothing relics of both St. Francis and St. Clare are on display.
Santa Stefano & Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Santa Stefano was built in 1166 without an architectural plan. The masons simply stacked and mortared the stones into this shape. A sign on the church door states that the bells miraculously rang on October 3, 1226, the day that St. Francis died.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva is Catholic church that was adapted from a Roman temple to Minerva. The original structure is 2,000 years old. In 1539 the Pope dedicated the building as a Catholic church giving it a name that means: St. Mary over Minerva.
Piazza del Comune at Night
This square marks the town center and is surrounded by a fountain, restaurants, shops and a former Roman temple. It's a great place to spend an evening.
Hanging with Our Group Winery Field Tour & Picnic
The winery was a pleasant diversion from the church-museum-water excursions that headline this trip - no complaints, but it was nice to head in another direction
We wined with new good friends Misako & Hitoshi. (Any guy who wants to swim so bad he substitutes his wife's pants for a speedo has got to be fun.)
We met with a wine expert at the Saio winery who told us about the grape varieties, presented six wines for tasting, then packed us a picnic with a wine we selected from the tasting.
Our visit allowed us to traipse through the vines, taste grapes and picnic with a great view of Assisi
Duomo di San Rufino
This church was built in the 12th century in honor of St. Rufino, Assisi's patron saint. He was a martyr who brought Christianity to the town in the 3rd century.
The church contains the font used to baptize both Sts. Francis & Clare.
A stone carving at the main entrance shows an animal eating a Christian, reflecting the town's and St. Rufino's history under Roman rule.
Ideas for Our Next Visit
Tour the gentle hills of the Umbrian countryside - there are, no doubt, more wineries to visit.
Eremo della Carceri, a nearby retreat frequented by St. Francis
Rocca Maggiore - a 12th century hilltop castle fortress
Surprises/Helpful Hints
Surprise: San Ruffino is the patron saint of Assisi, not St. Francis or St. Clare, the hometown heroes.
St. Francis & St. Clare were contemporaries and baptized at the same church, San Rufino.
Hint: Stray from the typical itinerary and do something different - the winery was a wonderful alternative.
For What It's Worth
"Adventure without risk is Disneyland." – Doug Coupland