November 2016
This is second time for me but I don't get tired and will never get tired of going back here. If given a chance to live in Italy, I'd choose Assisi. Why? The whole town itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Assisi is a comune and town located in the Umbria region in Italy in the province of Perugia. The town is located on the west of Monte Subasio and is mainly famous as the birth place of St. Francis. St. Francis had started the Franciscan religious order in Assisi in 1208. St. Clare was also born in the town.
Around 1000BC several Umbrians settled in the Tiber Valley and in the region where Assisi is now located. These settlements were small and fortified and were later taken over in 450 BC by the Etruscans. The Romans came in next and several Roman remains can still be found in town today. (www.lifeinitaly.com)
Photo below is from walksofitaly.com
Assisi is a hilltop town so our group went via bus but we alighted mid portion of the mountain and walked uphill. Yes, we walked again! Haha! Just like any town, city or province in Italy there is a "porta" as a landmark or entrance.
We were just at the entrance of Assisi but one can already see what the town has in store for you.
The streets of Assisi are somewhat similar to our Kalye Crisologo in Vigan.
Assisi is elevated at 1,391 feet so it is but ordinary to be "always above the clouds." Isn't that awesome?!
As you walk the streets of Assisi you will find little discoveries that are worth appreciating.
First, stairs and tunnels... lots and lots of stairs and tunnels.
Medyo hindi sya senior citizen friendly na lugar, yon lang!
Second, flowers and plants that make the houses and buildings nostalgically attractive.
Third, art works, sculptures and even knick-knacks inside hidden corners.
And fourth, the sweets displayed outside cafes and restos. Yum!
Our first pit stop is the Duomo di San Rufino.
From walksofitaly.com:
The San Rufino Cathedral or simply Assisi Cathedral is a favorite spot among pilgrims due to its connection to St. Francis’ life. It has a beautiful, Romanesque façade featuring three rose windows. Built atop an old Roman cistern in the 13th-century, the remodeled interior is primarily from the 16th century. Here you’ll find the fountain where both St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized. The Cathedral was dedicated to San Rufino, or St. Rufinus, after he converted Assisi to Christianity in AD 238 and was later martyred. It’s said that his remains still rest in a Roman sarcophagus in the cathedral.
Inside the cathedral one can find the baptismal font where St. Francis, St. Claire, and Emperor Frederick II were baptized.
"Saint Francis was baptized in 1182 and Saint Clare in 1193, as were many of their original followers, and in 1838 Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. The font was fashioned from an ancient granite column and is girdled by an iron grating."
There is an interesting feature inside this church. You can see the old church's ruins in the basement through the glass under your feet. Several portions of the aisle are made of glass. How cool is that?!
Outside the church, we had our group sharing. Our sharing focused on our experience as pilgrims in this travel. Our time together as a small group bonded us as we get to know one another in a deeper sense.
While waiting for the other groups to finish, my group mates continued to move around the plaza but I preferred to sit down and relax like a local. Hehehe.
The anatomy of sitting down in a piazza.
Another group of pilgrims was able to enter a small chapel where some of St. Francis' relics were kept.
After San Rufino, we proceeded to the Basilica di Santa Chiara.
From sacred-destinations.com:
The Basilica di Santa Chiara (Basilica of St. Clare) in Assisi is a 13th-century church that houses the relics of St. Clare, friend and protege of St. Francis of Assisi, as well as the miraculous crucifix that spoke to Francis.
The facade, made of horizontal bands of Assisian pink and white stone, is pierced by a wagon wheel rose window and a single round portal flanked by reliefs of lions. The building is stabilized on the north side by unattractive flying buttresses, added in 1351. Santa Chiara's campanile is the tallest in Assisi.
The saint's preserved body is on display at the east end of the crypt, her face protected by a layer of wax. A narrow ambulatory funnels pilgrims past the shrine. At the west end of the crypt, displayed behind a modern grille, are some important Franciscan relics, including humble tunics worn by Francis and Clare, a shirt Clare embroidered, and some locks of Clare's hair cut by St. Francis.
After the Basilica of Santa Chiara, we passed by the Church of San Damiano.
From italyguides.it:
The church of San Damiano hosted "The Crucifix" (today in the Basilica of Saint Clare) with Christ appearing not to be suffering, but opens his arms in a hope gesture. It spoke to Francis telling him, metaphorically, to restore his Church going broke: an order which the young man interpreted quite literally. Together with the Porziuncola, Francis rebuilt also San Damiano. It later became a place where Saint Clare and her Poor Clares lived; actually the holy order was originally called “the Damianites”, named after the church. Saint Clare performed miracles in this church, the most famous being the salvation from the Saracens who entered the cloister and were put to flight by Clare showing a monstrance out the window.
Francis also stayed here during his long illness; here, in 1225, he composed his Canticle of the Sun.
Before going to the next basilica, we went to a local resto to have our authentic Italian lunch. :-) Gutom talaga kami!
After a hearty lunch, we all walked (*wink wink wink) to the Basilica di San Francesco which is the heart and soul of Assisi.
The basilica is the mother church of the Franciscan order and a very important pilgrimage site in Italy. The Saint is buried in the basilica and thousands of people from all over the world visit the famous church each year.
The location of the basilica was previously known as “Hill of Hell” since prisoners were once put to death there, however, it is now known as the “Hill of Paradise.”
Fr. Martin was our priest-English tour guide that day and he led the group first to the crypt where the remains of St. Francis was kept. Unfortunately, cameras are prohibited in that part of the church so my photos are from pinterest.com except for one shot.
After seeing the crypt, Fr. Martin led us to the lower basilica.
The frescoes inside the lower basilica are resplendent!
The lower basilica consists of a central nave with several side chapels with semi-circular arches. The nave is decorated with the oldest frescoes in the church by an unknown artist, called Maestro di San Francesco. They feature five scenes from the Passion of Christ on the right side, while on the left side equally five scenes from the Life of St. Francis. By this juxtaposition, the Franciscans wanted to contribute to the idea of their founder as a second Christ.
There is a hole at the foot of the altar. If you will take a peep, one can see the crypt below. And directly below the altar of the lower basilica is the altar inside the crypt where the remains of St. Francis is revered.
One fascinating feature I like about the lower basilica is the story about one fresco made by Pietro Lorenzetti, the Madonna of the Sunsets or La Madonna dei Tramonti. According to Fr. Martin, every evening the fresco is lit by the rays of the setting sun thus, giving the fresco a golden color.
There is also a museum inside the basilica where you can find all the things St. Francis used in his lifetime.
The upper basilica is as grand and beautiful as the lower basilica, that's my opinion, of course.
Kasi lahat sa akin maganda! Well, because I've seen the frescoes restored now. The first time I was here, all the frescoes were under reconstruction and rehabilitation. The church was crowded with scaffoldings that time and I really didn't appreciate the visit. Now, I am just grateful that I've seen the beauty of them all.
To end our visit in Assisi, we went down the basilica and entered the Chapel of Peace. This is where we celebrated the Holy Eucharist for the day.
The laymen and sacerdotes in our group with our host brother from the Order of Franciscan Capuchin.
As we prepared to go back to Rome, I can't help but feel a bit sentimental. I was not able to see much when I came here for the first time. We were just given a few hours to go around and discover the basilica. It was crowded because the World Youth Day celebration just finished and there were so many pilgrims. But this time, we were given a day, and it was a memorable day for me. I have to see and discover more of Assisi but that is reserved for the third time. Ha! I am very hopeful for that.
Peace Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Paix, Udo, Pacem
Fred, Paco, Paz, Vrede, Pau
Kapayapaan
- At yan ang sabi ni Manang!
Assisi, Italy
November 2016