A series of "last times"...Assisi
As we count down to our departure from Italy (36 days from today), we find ourselves acknowledging that this is "our last time" doing various things. Today's final visit was to Assisi with our neighbors, Jerry and Linda.
Of all the towns in Umbria, this was the place we seemed to frequent the most. How can one not love the patron saint of animals and ecology? We toured the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli which was constructed between 1569 and 1679 to enclose the 9th century little church, the Porziuncola, the most sacred place for the Franciscans (the photo of graffiti of 1538 is on the outer wall) . It was here that the young Francis understood his vocation and renounced the world in order to live in poverty among the poor and thus started the Franciscan Movement.
We then discovered the Basilica di Santa Chiara, 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.
Lunch at our favorite restaurant, La Stalla, was the prelude to our final visit to the Basilica of San Francesco, one of Italy's foremost monuments (1228-1253). The short period of its construction, rare for a church of this size, is often explained as a measure of the great love that the people of the time had for St. Francis. By the mid 1400's pilgrims were flocking to Assisi from all parts of Europe and today the walled medieval town and its grand basilica are among the most visited of Christian shrines.
We flocked. We ate. We said our goodbyes to this wonderful hilltop mecca. It was a great way to begin our weekend.
Of all the towns in Umbria, this was the place we seemed to frequent the most. How can one not love the patron saint of animals and ecology? We toured the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli which was constructed between 1569 and 1679 to enclose the 9th century little church, the Porziuncola, the most sacred place for the Franciscans (the photo of graffiti of 1538 is on the outer wall) . It was here that the young Francis understood his vocation and renounced the world in order to live in poverty among the poor and thus started the Franciscan Movement.
We then discovered the Basilica di Santa Chiara, 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.
Lunch at our favorite restaurant, La Stalla, was the prelude to our final visit to the Basilica of San Francesco, one of Italy's foremost monuments (1228-1253). The short period of its construction, rare for a church of this size, is often explained as a measure of the great love that the people of the time had for St. Francis. By the mid 1400's pilgrims were flocking to Assisi from all parts of Europe and today the walled medieval town and its grand basilica are among the most visited of Christian shrines.
We flocked. We ate. We said our goodbyes to this wonderful hilltop mecca. It was a great way to begin our weekend.
3 comments:
Oh my gosh, time has really flown by, hasn't it! I hope you enjoy every day you have in Italy! :)
- xandra
I cannot believe how quickly your Italian adventure has gone by. And soon, you will be at home in Temecula never to go on another adventure again. Hahaha.
La Stalla looks like an interesting restaurant; it is breakfast time and I am thinking about yummy Italian lunches...
Did you take picture of the church with the blue roof? It looks like a postcard? (PS I didn't think Steve took it, I thought maybe you got it online!) :)
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Almost the end of the Italian adventure already? Time is flying.
Take care
Odile and Tom
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