PilgrimstaysThe Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi is one of the most important pilgrimage churches in Christendom, built to house the tomb of St Francis of Assisi, who died in 1226 and was canonised by Gregory IX in 1228. The double basilica — Upper Church and Lower Church — was begun immediately after canonisation and consecrated in 1253. The walls of the Upper Church are covered with a cycle of 28 frescoes attributed to Giotto depicting the life of St Francis — among the most important works of art in Western history. Francis of Assisi is among the most beloved figures in Christian history: the son of a wealthy cloth merchant who renounced his inheritance, embraced radical poverty, received the stigmata in 1224, rebuilt the Church at a time of corruption, founded the Franciscan Order, and composed the Canticle of the Creatures — the first major literary work in Italian. He is the patron saint of Italy, ecology, animals, and merchants, among many others. Pope Francis chose his name in honour of this saint. The Porziuncola — the tiny chapel where Francis first gathered his followers, and where he died — is enclosed within the enormous Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli in the plain below Assisi. Both the Porziuncola and the hilltop basilica are essential to the complete Assisi pilgrimage.
One of the most important pilgrimage basilicas in Christendom — tomb of St Francis, the most beloved saint The Giotto frescoes in the Upper Church are foundational to the history of Western art St Francis received the stigmata on La Verna mountain in September 1224 — two years before his death
Pope Francis chose his name in honour of this saint from Assisi
Approximately 5 million pilgrims and visitors per year
the man who gave away everything — is in a stone crypt in the lowest level of the basilica. It was hidden after his death and only rediscovered in the 19th century. Pilgrims kneel around the central stone sarcophagus in silence. The remains of his four closest companions are in the four corners of the crypt. It is one of the most simply moving pilgrimage destinations in Italy.
and to understand why Giotto was the first great revolutionary in Western painting.
every surface covered, every chapel rich with medieval painting. The atmosphere is intimate and charged. Pilgrims who find the Upper Church too grand often find the Lower Church the more devotional space.
8 metres by 4 metres — where Francis gathered his first companions, received the rule of life, and died, is now entirely enclosed within the enormous 16th-century baroque basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli.
is the most concentrated expression of Franciscan paradox.
Entire historic centre [OUTDOOR] Assisi is a perfectly preserved medieval hilltop town in the Umbrian countryside. The pink-grey Subasio stone of its streets and buildings has not changed since Francis walked them in the 13th century. Walking the streets from the Piazza del Comune to the basilica, through the lanes and under the arches, is itself a pilgrimage. The view of the Umbrian plain below from the basilica terrace at sunset is unforgettable.
Francis was the son of a rich merchant. He had everything. He gave it all away, embraced a leper, rebuilt a church with his own hands, and died on the bare ground with his face turned to the sky, singing. His tomb is in a basilica that is the most visited saint shrine in Italy. The man who had nothing is remembered in one of the richest pilgrimage structures in the world. This is the paradox of Francis: he wanted nothing, and everything gathered around him.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Read in full on Bible Gateway →The Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi is one of the most important pilgrimage churches in Christendom, built to house the tomb of St Francis of Assisi, who died in 1226 and was canonised by Gregory IX in 1228. The double basilica — Upper Church and Lower Church — was begun immediately after canonisation and consecrated in 1253. The walls of the Upper Church are covered with a cycle of 28 frescoes attributed to Giotto depicting the life of St Francis — among the most important works of art in Western history.
Francis of Assisi is among the most beloved figures in Christian history: the son of a wealthy cloth merchant who renounced his inheritance, embraced radical poverty, received the stigmata in 1224, rebuilt the Church at a time of corruption, founded the Franciscan Order, and composed the Canticle of the Creatures — the first major literary work in Italian. He is the patron saint of Italy, ecology, animals and merchants, among many others. Pope Francis chose his name in honour of this saint.
The Porziuncola — the tiny chapel where Francis first gathered his followers, and where he died — is enclosed within the enormous Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli in the plain below Assisi. Both the Porziuncola and the hilltop basilica are essential to the complete Assisi pilgrimage.
