Assisi and Saint Francis.
Assisi, a hill town in central Italy’s Umbria region, was the birthplace of one of Italy’s patron saints, St. Francis (1181–1226). Saint Francis is the reason for my visit.
I have an innate curiosity about life in medieval times and a passion for medieval villages. Simply, I just want to feel the energies and experience the feelings of appreciation for all times that have come before. I am captivated by Gregorian chants of 9th and 10th centuries, and I harbor a compulsive curiosity about the lives of monks in the 11th and 12th centuries.
The Basilica of St. Francis is a massive, 2-level church, consecrated in 1253. The crypt houses the saint’s stone sarcophagus. The 13th-century frescoes portraying the life of St. Francis have been attributed to, among others, Giotto di Bondone, an Italian painter and architect from Florence in the late Middle Ages. He is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who contributed to the Renaissance. Cimabue, also known as Cenni di Pepo or Cenni di Pepi, who was a Florentine painter and creator of mosaics, has also been credited for the frescoes.
In respect for the prohibition of photos in the Basilica, and the closure of the downstairs area, this series offers a glimpse of the village of Assisi.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Saint Francis
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
The hillside Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Standing here toward the village, to my surprise I realized I had passed here before.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Courtyard, the heart of quiescence.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Romantic rooftops and bucolic vistas.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Delightful September tourism.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Charming hillside streets that vehicles actually travelled.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Even though tourists flocked there… I felt the silence.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Exuberant Italian children at play… love the sound.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
A bit of patience to find an undisturbed moment to hear the water at the fountain.
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Intriguing secret passages…
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Mysterious Monks?
Assisi, Umbria Region, Italy
Curiosity, well satisfied. I rested inside the basilica in meditation in my own presence amongst all things gone before.
