Shrines of Italy: Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi

The Basilica of Saint Francis towers over the village of Assisi like a fortress. It’s the first thing you’ll see as you approach the village from the main highway, and it is an excellent viewpoint from which to admire the quaint little village in the valley below.  

Construction began on this basilica in the year 1228, immediately following the canonization of Saint Francis by Pope Gregory IX. The church was formally consecrated in 1253, and has drawn countless pilgrims to the village ever since. In 1997, a significant part of the church was damaged in a major earthquake, which led to a 2-year restoration process, and subsequent designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2000.

The 53 Romanesque arches surrounding the main plaza below the church are connected to the Friary Sacro Convento, which houses an active Franciscan community even today.

The Basilica itself is technically composed of three major elements, those being the upper Basilica, lower Basilica, and the crypt in which the body of Saint Francis is entombed.

The lower church is distinctly Romanesque in style, and features some extraordinary frescoes by the late-medieval artists Cimabue and Giotto. Much of the lighting in the lower church is artificial, lending to a sense of contemplative austerity. As I made my way toward the main altar, my attention was diverted by a nearby staircase, leading down into the crypt where the tomb of Saint Francis is preserved. This crypt is commonly used for daily mass by various groups of pilgrims, as was the case on the day I arrived here. These masses are celebrated on the altar shown here, which is connected to the actual tomb of Saint Francis. A few of his closest friends were later entombed in this room as well.

Leaving the crypt behind, I made my way up to the main altar of the lower basilica, which was the most brightly lit portion of the church, and for good reason. The frescoes painted into the vaulted ceiling above the altar are simply breathtaking. To the right of the main altar is a small room, containing some impressively well-preserved relics from Saint Francis, to include a brown tunic believed to have been worn by the saint, as well as a pair of shoes, a white robe, and an ancient parchment penned by Francis himself upon receiving the famous stigmata.

If you climb an additional flight of stairs, you will eventually emerge in the upper basilica, which carries a similar theme to that of the lower basilica, albeit with a few distinct differences. Unlike the Romanesque inspired lower church, the upper church is undeniably Gothic, and the presence of windows allows for much more natural lighting to fill the room. This lighting helps to illuminate the many frescoes present which depict various scenes from the life of Saint Francis.

As I slowly made my way through the upper basilica, leaving these massive frescoes behind, I stopped for a moment to admire the magnificent altar in the midst of this ancient sanctuary, before exiting through a narrow hallway to the left. This brought me to a convenient overlook from which the main body of the Sacro Convento Friary could be seen. Walking a bit further, I descended a nearby staircase which led me into a kind of middle ground between the upper and lower basilicas. There was a gift shop in this area, as well as a path leading back into the lower basilica, signaling that my journey through this complex had been completed.

I would have to say that the Basilica of Saint Francis is one of my favorite shrines thus far, although this has less to do with the church itself and more to do with the village it occupies. Even after centuries of industrial development, Assisi has somehow managed to preserve its identity as a simple, peaceful village nestled quietly into the Italian hillside of Mount Subasio. It has moreover, managed to retain a palpable sense of Catholicity in spite of how dramatically the world has changed in recent decades. It is this fact alone which will certainly inspire me to return to Assisi in the days and weeks to come.