Pax Et Bonum

Peace and Good to you!  The motto here in Assisi, in bella Umbria, is 'Pax Et Bonum'.  If you have never been to Umbria you are missing God's country, truly beautiful, even in the torrential rain and chill.  It is a feast for the senses and here in Assisi one feels quite close to God.  It is a special place of peace and goodness.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit put it on your itinerary.

We arrived in the rain and had to make a 12 minute walk to the pilgrim hostel where we are staying not far from the Basilica of St. Francis and around the corner from Chiesa Nouvo, the Church built over the house where Francis grew up and where his father imprisoned him after he wanted to become a penitential brother.

Here are pictures that barely do justice but you will get the picture!

View of Umbrian Countryside from my window at Casa Papa Giovanni

There are lots of Churches here.  This is the Church of Santa Croce.  You enter under the arch to the right of this picture.

Santa Croce

This is the baptismal font in the Cathedral of San Ruffino.  Both St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized in this font.

San Ruffino Cathedral Baptismal Font

This photo is from the Church of St. Clare and this is the crypt where her body lays in State.

St. Clare

I was in Assisi about 30 years ago and these relics were in a small dimly lit sacristy behind a grill and not easy to see.  Pope John Paul II had the Crypt Chapel of St. Clare Church enlarged and a new well lit spacious room put in to view all of the relics of St. Francis and St. Clare.  This picture is of the central display.  On the left is the tunic Francis wore at his conversion, the middle tunic is the habit of St. Clare and the tunic on the right is the habit of St. Francis.  On the floor are various other clothing belonging to them.  Their 3 knot ropes for the habit representing the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.  Francis sandal, breviary, etc.

left to right; Francis tunic, Clares habt, Francis habit

There are some very nice shops in town.  This one specializes in Religious Goods and this is a hand written (painted) Icon of the Crucifixion in the style of the artist Cimabue.  It is done in all blues and is really quite unique and eye catching, the photo does not fully capture the colors.  It's priced at e2,300 or about $3,290.00 USD.  Not cheap!

Hand written Icon after Cimabue

The Basilica of St. Francis at night.  I went there for Sunday Sung Vespers at 6:00pm.  I sat with the Franciscan Nuns who gave me a hymnal and showed me what pages the chants were on, I chanted with the Friars and the Poor Clare's in Italian and it was sublime.  The vespers take place in the lower Church directly above the Crypt Chapel containing the body of St. Francis and the 4 Founders of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans).

Basilica of St. Francs at Night

Your not allowed to take any pictures in the Basilica and I got into trouble with a Police Officer for taking this picture.  These are scenes from the life of Christ which carry a World Heritage Declaration as International treasures of humanity. They were executed by the famous artist Giotto.  I was saddened to see the amount of damage inflicted on the upper fresco's by the earthquake.  Giotto was an extraordinary painter and the earthquake really damaged the Frescos.

Giotto Fresco of Francis Preaching