Corner La Trin: Assisi

Assisi, a town not far from Perugia sat atop the hill, overlooking the Umbrian countryside. It was the birthplace of St. Francis, who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208, and St. Clare, the founder of the Poor Sisters, which later became the Order of Poor Clares after her death. This spiritual haven, was also home to many churches and basilicas. We parked our car and headed up.

Wow. Jaw drop. It was incredible. All the marble that made up the architectural wonders were tinted with pink, and the view was spectacular. Green, yellow and brown fields dotted the countryside, and cars were speeding along the highway. We walked into the cathedral of St Clare, awaiting magical experiences.

The cathedral of St Clare was truly beautiful. The glaring sun illuminated the abundant stained glass windows, and the statues were flawlessly carved. Paintings and tapestries adorned the walls, and the marble floor was multicoloured. Plenty of benches were lined up, and lots of people were in silent prayer. We decided to head downstairs, into the tomb of St Clare.

St Clare had been a follower of St Francis, a following that her family strongly resisted. She ran away from her family and became a hermit, like St Frances. Her sister Agatha, ran away to follow Clare, but was caught and dragged back to the house. However, when Agatha asked Clare for help, she became so heavy, that people could not drag her. This was Clare's first miracle. Her other miracles were that of making bread multiply when baking for the poor, making olive oil multiply and her body not decaying after she died. Over time, more and more people joined her in hermitage. They became the Poor Clares.

Downstairs in the tomb was a silent prayer, full of solemnity. St Clare's body was kept in a golden sarcophagus, adorned with sculptures and decorations. Along the walls was kept the story of her life, from being given the olive leaf, to her death. She had been a hermit, like St Francis, living alone with no one but her sisters. It was a lovely story.

After that cathedral, we went to the fort, a thousand year old castle that had housed many important people over the centuries. Three towers rose out of it, all of which you could climb, therefore looking out onto region of Umbria. Climbing up the mountain to get to it, the sun only began to get hotter. Ah well, it would be cool in the stone fort.

It was breathtaking. Ruined walls formed shapes here and there, the courtyards being the most deformed. The towers with tiny windows were perfectly intact though, and so was the tunnel that connected them. Exploring it was so much fun. I almost skipped down the dimly lighted tunnel to the first tower. Once I got to the top though, I couldn't move. The view was so... too good for words. Fields growing plants stretched out towards the horizon, and trees swayed in the breeze. Cars zoomed along, completely ignorant of my piercing gaze. The mountains loomed out of the ground, casting faint shadows on the ground. Beautiful.

The second and third towers both offered similar spectacular sights. I could see everything. This fort was so cool. It would've been so amazing to live here.

After the fort, we returned to explore the town of Assisi. We saw the house where St. Francis lived before he adopted the life of a hermit. We also saw the church where both St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized. We spent some time at Piazza Del Commune before we proceeded to the almighty basilica of St. Francis.

St Francis was born in Assisi in 1181 to a wealthy cloth merchant family and he lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man, even fighting as a soldier for Assisi. While going off to war in 1204, Francis had a vision that directed him back to Assisi, where he lost his taste for his worldly life. On a pilgrimage to Rome, Francis begged with the beggars at various public places. The experience moved him to live in poverty. Francis returned home, began preaching on the streets, and soon amassed a following. In 1224, Francis received the stigmata, making him the first person to bear the wounds of Christ's Passion. He died in 1226 and two years later, Francis was pronounced a saint. St Francis' first miracle, that of taming a wolf, became famous throughout the world.

We arrived at St Francis basilica. It was HUGE! It had two levels, a lower cathedral and upper cathedral. We went to the lower level first, because it has a crypt that held St Francis's tomb. Immaculately carved statues held abundance in the huge, tavernous room. Stained glass windows lit up the room with bright colours. Candles also illuminated the cathedral. The tomb was also amazing. The tomb was in a golden and glass sarcophagus, surrounded by benches for people to do prayers and reflections. It was dead silent, not a noise. You could hear a pin drop. Really.

The upper level of the cathedral was magical. Detailed frescoes adorned the ceilings and walls. Stained glass windows lit the room with colour. Tours gave a little noise, but not much as they wandered around the church. Wooden benches in the centre of the cathedral were full of people. A truly amazing scene.

The last agenda of the day was the hike up to the sanctuary of St Francis. It was two kilometers to the gate of Assisi and then four kilometres up the mountain to the sanctuary. All uphill. I couldn't wait.

Huff, puff, h-huff, p-puff. We were at the sanctuary. In the sun, it had been tough. But good. It had been a lot of fun. Walking into the sanctuary, I felt as if walking from a noisy, busy square, then into a holy place. Well, this sanctuary WAS holy. But the dynamic instantly changed at the first step onto the ground of the sanctuary. It became more solemn. More peaceful.

The tame flowers, shrubs and trees grew prettily to make the place just beautiful. Inside the little house, I saw some nuns talking. I think they must've been Franciscan nuns. We went down a tiny set of stairs, which led to a miniature alcove, which led to another set of minuscule stairs, and then we were out of the house. We walked down a path, looking at statues and plants. Then we were at the end, at a place with an altar and marble seats. His meditation place. The holy place.

On the way back down, I thought about what I just had seen. I felt, new. Like I had just been refreshed. it was a nice feeling. I would never forget it.

That evening we went to a famous Umbrian restaurant in Assisi. I ordered a Penne all'Arrabbiata. It was so YUMMY! Spicy. Tick! Tomatoey. Tick! Great? TICK! It was awesome.

That night, I dreamt that I was flying over the mountains, through the air. Over Assisi. It was a nice dream. Assisi had been lovely. Really lovely.

Beautiful arches of St. Claire Church