| Page Views: 2,134 Last Visit to Assisi: March, 2001 | ASSISI by Goner - last update: Dec 9, 2003 |
The Place of St. Francis | Basilica di San Francesco |
Assisi is in the beautiful hills of the Umbria Region in Northern Italy. We were told by our tour guide that there are 99 hilltop towns in the area, however, we couldn’t count them all. It was enjoyable riding along in the bus and watching this pretty countryside pass by our windows, so different from the busy Venice we had just left. The hilltop towns sit perched on hills far from the main highway and we didn’t stop to explore any until we reached Assisi. There was an air of reverence as we left the bus and climbed up the steep hill to the Basilica. I had read about the mystical and poetic Saint Francis as a child and was quite impressed that a man would give up his wealth to become a penniless monk and care for lepers. |
The Story of St. FrancisFrancis of Assisi, Saint (1182-1226). Born in Assisi, Italy and originally named Giovanni Francesco Bernardone, he appears to have received little formal education, even though his father was a wealthy merchant. As a young man, Francis led a worldly, carefree life. Following a battle between Assisi and Perugia, he was held captive in Perugia for over a year. While imprisoned, he suffered a severe illness during which he resolved to alter his way of life. Back in Assisi in 1205, he performed charities among the lepers and began working on the restoration of dilapidated churches. Francis’s change of character and his expenditures for charity angered his father, who legally disinherited him. Francis then discarded his rich garments for a bishop’s cloak and devoted the next three years to the care of outcasts and lepers.
Francis began preaching. and established the order of the Franciscans. In 1212 he received a young, well-born nun of Assisi, Clare, into Franciscan fellowship; through her was established the Order of the Poor Ladies (the Poor Clares). It was probably later in 1212 that Francis set out for the Holy Land, but a shipwreck forced him to return. He then went to Spain to preach to the Moors. In 1219 he was in Egypt, unable to convert the sultan, Francis then went on to the Holy Land, staying there until 1220. In September 1224, after 40 days of fasting, Francis was praying and a stigmata appeared on his body. Francis was carried back to Assisi, where his remaining years were marked by physical pain and almost total blindness. He was canonized in 1228. In 1980, Pope John Paul II proclaimed him the patron saint of ecologists. In art, the emblems of St. Francis are the wolf, the lamb, the fish, birds, and the stigmata.Parts of narrative were taken from Encarta |
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| Pros: | "A Beautiful Town in the Beautiful Umbria Region" | | In A Nutshell: | "Inspiring Historical Town" |
Goner's Assisi Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 11 - Photos: 11 | | | | Restaurants | Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 |
 Goner's Assisi Travelogues | | | | Title [Click to view] | Travel Year | Pictures | | More Views | March, 2001 |  2 |
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 Comments for Goner about Assisi | | | | |
dfactor Wed Aug 3, 2005 13:13 UTC
I agree with you. It's a nice feeling looking at Assis from the bus, perching at the hill side. :D | matcrazy1 Thu Mar 24, 2005 22:31 UTC
Very good page again with good and much talking pictures. Great description. | JetlagCity Wed Aug 25, 2004 17:05 UTC
Excellent point about how this man and this church had such an influence throughout the world, like in the missions in California. I'd love to see this place someday. | karenincalifornia Thu Mar 11, 2004 05:54 UTC
I visited your page because I will be in Assisi this summer. Your photos are stunning! Hiking boot, really?? I LOVED your animal photos on your home page! |
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