Assisi, Umbria, Italy
Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
The mother church of the Franciscan order, built over the tomb of St. Francis and covered in Giotto's frescoes.
Assisi clings to the side of Mount Subasio, and the basilica anchors the western end of town like a ship's prow over the Umbrian valley below. The complex is really two churches stacked — the dim, low-ceilinged Lower Basilica and the bright, soaring Upper Basilica above it. Downstairs, you move through shadows. Frescoes by Cimabue, Lorenzetti, and Simone Martini line the walls and ceiling, and at the far end, stairs descend to the crypt where Francis is buried in a simple stone tomb. The poverty he preached is right there in the plainness of his grave. Upstairs, the Upper Basilica opens up into light and Giotto's famous fresco cycle — twenty-eight panels telling the story of Francis's life, painted around 1300. The colors are still vivid: Francis preaching to the birds, Francis receiving the stigmata, Francis stripping off his fine clothes before his father and the bishop. You walk the length of the nave and you walk through a life.
Diocese: Diocese of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino
Style: Italian Gothic
What to See
Start in the Lower Basilica — let your eyes adjust to the dimness and then look carefully at the ceiling frescoes above the altar, attributed to the workshop of Giotto, depicting Franciscan virtues. Descend to the crypt and the tomb of St. Francis, a place of almost constant quiet prayer. Then go up to the Upper Basilica and walk the Giotto fresco cycle from right to left, reading it like a book. Each panel tells an episode from Francis's life with remarkable human detail. The basilica museum holds relics including Francis's tunic and sandals.
Pilgrim Notes
Mass is celebrated daily in both the Upper and Lower Basilicas. Silence is requested and enforced throughout. Photography is not permitted in either church. Assisi is reachable by train to Santa Maria degli Angeli station, then a bus up the hill. The town itself is small enough to walk in an afternoon, and the Basilica of Santa Chiara (St. Clare) on the opposite end is worth the visit. Franciscan friars remain active on the grounds and are often available to talk.