On Thursday, Kinsey, Alyson, and the rest of the J2A
Pilgrimage Group headed on a day-long tour to Assisi. We first stopped in Orvieto, one of the
Etruscan walled cities in Umbria, “the Green Heart of Italy,” about an hour
north of Rome. If you have seen the film
“Under the Tuscan Sun,” then you have seen an example of these walled cities. The basilica pictured here is Duomo, which is
an example of the Romanesque Gothic architecture. You can see the style inside the basilica
(which, like many other churches, did not allow photography inside) with the
layers of the walls as they were built up.
The church looks worn and faded on the inside, especially compared to
the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica we saw on Wednesday, but – in my
opinion – it felt like a real church and not a spectacle.
We arrived in Orvieto before the basilica opened, so we had
time to explore the town’s main street.
We ran into a number of beautiful ceramic shops, as well as a
woodworking shop and a medieval collectibles store. Kinsey and Allyson had espresso at a small bed-and-breakfast
bar.
We stopped for a traditional Italian lunch at Podeze Bello,
a farm located near Orvieto. The
antipasto (appetizer) was bruschetta, and the pasta dish was rigatoni in meat
sauce (tomato sauce for the vegetarians).
The main course included salted veal, chicken, and lentils for the
omnivores, while the herbivores had thick parmesan cheese and lentils. The dessert was a wonderful Italian
flan. After the meal, we continued north
to Assisi.
The first basilica we toured in Assisi was the Basilica di
Santa Chiara, which houses the body of Saint Clare, the first female Franciscan
monk and the founder of the Order of Poor Ladies. It also contains a number of paintings from
the 12th through 14th centuries, as well as the Crucifix that Saint Francis
venerated at San Damiano.
St. Francis was credited with creating the first nativity
scene. The photograph shows the nativity
set displayed outside in the Piazza di Santa Chiara.
St. Francis, who is well-known for starting the Order of
Franciscan Monks, was actually born in a stable, where this photograph was
taken. Despite his humble beginnings, he
was considered to be a playboy for his first 24 years of life, with aspirations
of becoming a knight. It was God that
appeared to St. Francis in a vision to tell him to establish a church (and,
eventually, the order of monks).
As we made our way into the Piazza Del Comune, which
included an old Roman Temple to Minerva that has been converted to the Chiesa
di Santa Maria sopra Minerva, and down the Via Portica, I was able to snap a
long-distance shot of San Damiano, where St. Francis heard God’s voice and
where he wrote the canticle of the Creatures.
Saint Claire used the building to found a convent.
The final basilica we toured in Assisi was the Basilica di
Saint Francesco, which consists of two churches. The upper church has colorful frescoes that
show the major events in Saint Francis’ life, including his vow of poverty when
he joined the church, when he received the stigmata, and two of the miracles
attributed to him after his death. The
lower church has older frescoes that show the history of Jesus. There is also a tomb below the lower church
where the body of Saint Francis is laid.
The final stop on the tour was the Basilica di Santa Maria
Degli Angeli, about 4 kilometers outside of Assisi. A number of events happened in this church,
including the recruiting of monks that would form the basis of the first
Franciscan order, and the place were Saint Francis bestowed the Franciscan cowl
to Saint Claire.
There is only one more day of sight-seeing on this
pilgrimage, so stay tuned…
