Here I am with the valley behind me..
I am on the train on my way to Assisi, one of the most prayerful spots in Italy. St. Francis will be a welcome change from the papal presence in Rome, which is an extremely masculine place, with its excessive Roman/male statuary, baroque churches and motorcycles. Assisi, on the other hand, is a gentle, feminine town set in a hill overlooking the valley. Francis was all about nature and his friends, his male companions and his female companion Clare, and of course the birds.
The town is very walkable. At the northern end is the Basillica di St. Francesco, built soon after Francis’ death. Although it is a medieval church, it is bursting forth with Giotto’s frescoes, foreshadowing the humanism of the Renaissance and even our twenty-first century call to take care of the earth. At the southern end of Assisi, down in the valley is the Convent of San Domino, home of the Poor Clares.
This is a place that exudes silence, solitude and simplicity. A sign along the road from the train station to the town says, "The City of Peace".
The town is very walkable. At the northern end is the Basillica di St. Francesco, built soon after Francis’ death. Although it is a medieval church, it is bursting forth with Giotto’s frescoes, foreshadowing the humanism of the Renaissance and even our twenty-first century call to take care of the earth. At the southern end of Assisi, down in the valley is the Convent of San Domino, home of the Poor Clares.
This is a place that exudes silence, solitude and simplicity. A sign along the road from the train station to the town says, "The City of Peace".