A, ssi, si.

This morning began nearly identical to yesterday's- with a train ride through the exact same country side, but with a destination slightly further down the track. Today, it was off to the home of St. Francis- the mountain town of Assisi. Rising in the midst of one of Umbria's many snowcapped peaks, Assisi was originally settled by the Romans before becoming one of Italy's spiritual capitols. Their most famous son, Francis, was born and lived in the town his entire life, venturing to the top of the mountain for a spiritual retreat in to the wilderness (more on that later). Though he began his life as a rich, materialistic man, he renounced all wealth and possessions when a talking cross in the Chiara di Santa Clara (Church of St. Clare) told him to do so. As a religious mystic, Francis received the stigmata towards the end of his life (which would have made hiking in the mountains unimaginably difficult). Other feats of Francis include communicating with birds, appearing in two places at once (Arles and Assisi at the same moment!), and sponsoring a line of shot glasses, postcards, and cigarette lighters that continues to this day!

Upon arriving in Assisi, the first stop was Forte Maggiore, a 14th century castle that overlooks the city. Completely untouched by the flow of tourist traffic, the castle offers unhindered (and silent) views of the entire Umbrian countryside.







The next stop on the itinerary was the Cathedral of Assisi. A romanesque construction, the cathedral is far less impressive than the more notable Basilica of St. Francis, but it does have a large section of transparent glass flooring, where you can gaze onto the 4th century foundations of the church!

Next it was on to the Basilica of St. Francis, the main reason everyone comes to Assisi. Decorated with masterpiece frescos by Giotto and his followers, the Basilica is divided in to two parts. The lower (older) basilica dates back to the early middle ages. Today it is adorned with frescos ranging from the 12th century all the way to the 20th century. Housed in the lower basilica are various reliquaries of the Saint (including his shoes, his cloak, his chalice, and his autograph), as well as his actual tomb. Today, the tomb is a literal pilgrimage sight. I saw people literally wailing at the foot of his tomb, reciting rosaries at the altar, or lighting candles to pay him homage.






The Upper Basilica, noted for the lavish fresco cycle detailing the life and miracles of St. Francis, was damaged by an earthquake in 1997. The entire cycle laid on the floor in 300,000 tiny pieces. Today, other than a few tan blotches near the doors, one would have no idea that such destruction had hit the town. SO to you, art restoring people!



Following a lunch of boar head sandwhiches and Toblerone candy bars, we made our way to the "Porta Cappucini" (door of multiple Cappucinnos), the starting point for our wilderness trek. Rising several hundred meters over a very short distance, the 8km round trip is not for beginners... so I had no business on this walk! That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed the hike, the panoramic vistas of Umbria, the snow on the mountain peaks, the tranquility of walking on a path with zero tourists. Some go to Assisi seeking a spiritual experience with reliquaries of a long dead mystic. They're missing out on the true power of this region.






At the end of the hike is the Hermitage of St. Francis. Once a tiny cave where Francis would come to pray and meditate, the area is now a full blown spiritual retreat, with miniature campsites for prayer and contemplation. The franciscan nuns give tours to spiritual pilgrims, showing them the spots where Francis received the stigmata, drew water from the rock, and spoke with the birds.

The cell of Francis remains quite tiny. I was a bit uneasy about fitting through. When a nun leading a tour group asked me (in italian of course) why I wasn't moving, I replied "Sono troppo grande" (I'm too big). She shook her head, laughed, and pushed me through a door that couldn't have been more than three and a half feet. Maybe Catholic schools are on to something. Maybe to get to the best places in life, you just need a kick in the pants from a nun.

We timed our return hike perfectly (inadvertently), arriving back in Assisi just in time to catch the bus back to the train station and on to the 5pm train. Back in Florence, I enjoyed a "kebab" dinner and an episode of The Office. Another "Giorno Bellissimo" e fine!