Basilica di San Francesco: masterpiece of human creative genius
Like many towns in Umbria, the medieval city of Assisi is built on a hillslope. From miles away, you can see the city rise from the slopes of Monte Subasio. One building in particular will immediately catch your eye: the church on one end of the historic center. It's the Basilica di San Francesco. With a few million visitors a year, the church is undoubtedly Assisi's most popular sight.
Before we start exploring the basilica, let me tell you some more about the life of one of the most venerated figures in Christianity. So, who was San Francesco?
Assisi stretches out on the slopes of Mount Subasio. The Basilica di San Francesco on the left will immediately catch your eye.
Life of San Francesco
Francesco was born in 1181 or 1182 as the son of a silk merchant and a French noblewoman. His father's business prospered, allowing Francesco to live the life of a wealthy young man. Most people thought he would eventually take over his father's thriving business, but Francesco had other plans. He envisioned a future as a knight.
Battle was the best place to win the glory and prestige he longed for. And so, in 1202, the young Francesco participated in a military expedition against Perugia. However, enemy soldiers quickly captured him due to his lack of combat experience.
During his captivity, Francesco started to think over his life. One year later, he was released and returned to Assisi as a very different man. Instead of working, he spent more and more time in quiet churches around Assisi. One day Francesco was praying in front of an old crucifix in the dilapidated field chapel of San Damiano. Suddenly he heard the voice of the Lord: "Francesco, Francesco, go and repair My house, which, as you can see, is falling into ruins."
Today's chapel of San Damiano in Assisi
To rebuild the San Damiano church, Francesco needed money. And so he decided to sell some cloth from his father's store. When his father found out, he was furious and dragged Francesco before the local bishop.
The bishop told Francesco to return his father's money. Francesco's response was remarkable. He stripped himself naked and gave both his clothes and the money back to his father. Then he declared that God was the only father he recognized.
From that moment on, Francesco would live according to the Gospel. He embraced a lifestyle of Christ-like poverty. This was a radical move as the Christian church and its leaders were known for their extreme richness.
In the following years, Francesco restored several ruined chapels in the countryside around Assisi. Among them was the Porziuncola, a little chapel just outside Assisi. This same chapel became the home of Francesco and his first followers. You can still visit this chapel, although today a church has been built around it: the Basilica di Santa Maria Degli Angeli.
I won't go into too much detail about Francesco's later life, other than that his influence continued to grow. Francesco had come to realize that God's message to him was to restore the entire Catholic Church rather than literally repair the San Damiano stone structure. And so he introduced a new kind of Christian religion that everyday people could understand. He even went so far as to preach to animals.
Because of Francesco's love for animals and nature, he later became the patron saint of ecology. This is why today, on the feast day of Francesco (October 4, the day after the Saint's death), we also celebrate World Animal Day.
Also, did you know that the current Pope is inspired by San Francesco? In 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio even chose to honor San Francesco by taking his name, becoming Pope Francis (Francesco).
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Basilica di San Francesco
Okay, back to the basilica in Assisi. Construction of the basilica began in 1228, two years after San Francesco's death.
The building site was previously used for executions and burials of criminals. Francesco had designated it as the place where he wanted to be buried. And so it happened.
When standing on Piazza Inferiore di San Francesco (Google Maps), you can see that the basilica is actually composed of two churches. The first is the Basilica Inferiore (Lower Church), and the second is the Basilica Superiore (Upper Church). Below the Basilica Inferiore there is a crypt where the remains of the Saint are buried.
The Basilica di San Francesco on a cold December morning.
According to UNESCO, the Basilica di San Francesco is a masterpiece of human creative genius that has made it a fundamental reference for art history in Europe and the world. It is an outstanding example of a type of architectural ensemble that has significantly influenced the development of art and architecture. For this reason, the basilica was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.
Basilica Inferiore
The best place to start your visit to the church is in the Basilica Inferiore. The lower church can be entered via Piazza Inferiore di San Francesco. Please note that it's strictly forbidden to take pictures inside the basilica. The custodians take this rule very, very seriously. One early morning I was lucky though. After an interesting chat with one of the custodians, I got permission to quickly snap a couple of pictures.
After entering through the impressive doorway and passing the information office, turn left. You'll find yourself in the church's single nave, consisting of five parts divided by low arcades.
The walls of the nave are decorated with frescoes. On the left, there are five frescoes depicting scenes from the life of San Francesco, and on the right, you'll see five frescoes depicting the life of Jesus. It is not known who painted the frescoes. That is why they are attributed to the anonymous Maestro di San Francesco.
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The nave provides access to several chapels, which are also characterized by beautiful paintings. I'll highlight two of them in this post.
The first chapel on the left is the Cappella di San Martino. The ten frescoes in this chapel show scenes from the life of San Martino. Among them is a famous scene of the Saint sharing his mantle with a beggar. Because of this noble deed, Martino was greatly admired by San Francesco. The ten frescoes in the chapel were most likely painted by Simone Martini, a pupil of the famous Giotto. Simone Martini played an important role in the development of early Italian painting.
Before moving on to the second chapel, I'd like to show you the lower church's transept. Just walk from the Cappella di San Martino through the nave to the altar. On the walls and on the vault of the left transept, you can admire different scenes from the life of Jesus. Among them are the Entry into Jerusalem, the Crucifixion, the Deposition from the Cross, and the Hanging of Judas. They are the work of Pietro Lorenzetti and his workshop.
Close-up of the Flagellation before Pilate, by Pietro Lorenzetti and his workshop.
Close-up of the Crucifixion (left), and the Hanging of Judas (right), both by Pietro Lorenzetti and his workshop.
The right side of the transept is characterized by frescoes that reminded me of the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padova. Take, for example, the Flight to Egypt, or the Massacre of the Innocents. To me, it's clear these frescoes were painted by followers of Giotto or might even be the work of the master himself. However, some frescoes, such as the Four Angels, stand out because of their different style. These were painted by Cimabue. He was a Florentine medieval painter, described in Dante Alighieri's Divina Comedia as the artist surpassed only by Giotto.
Close-up of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (left), and the Massacre of the Innocents (right), both attributed to Giotto and his workshop.
Now, back to the chapels. The second chapel I'd like to highlight is the third chapel on the right side of the nave. This is the Cappella della Maddalena. The frescoes show various biblical scenes, including the Resurrection of Lazarus and the Dinner in the House of the Pharisee. These paintings are probably the work of Giotto himself.
Close-up of the Dinner in the House of the Pharisee, attributed to Giotto and his workshop.
Crypt
Halfway through the nave of the lower church is a staircase that allows you to descend into the crypt. Here you'll find the tomb of San Francesco. It's a simple stone sarcophagus enclosed in the pillar below the main altar of the Basilica Inferiore.
Francesco's tomb is surrounded by the graves of some of his earliest and most loyal followers: Leo, Masseo, Rufino, and Angelo.
Tomb of San Francesco underneath the main altar of the Basilica Inferiore.
Between the two access stairs, there is another grave. Here lie the remains of Giacoma de Settesoli, or brother Jacoba as San Francesco used to call her. When Francesco died in the fall of 1226, Giacoma was by his side.
Basilica Superiore
On both sides of the transept of the lower church, you'll find a staircase leading to a courtyard. From there, you can enter the transept of the Basilica Superiore. Get ready for some of Italy's most famous works of art!
Basilica Superiore di San Francesco d'Assisi, and close-up of one of the beautifully decorated arches.
In the transept, you'll again find frescoes by Cimabue. One of his most impressive paintings is the Crucifixion on the left side of the transept. Unfortunately, the work is less colorful than it used to be. Cimabue used white lead in its pigments. Due to oxidation, some of the colors have turned black over the years.
The Crucifixion, by Cimabue. As you can see, most of the colors have faded, or have turned black.
The most famous work of art can be found on the walls of the church's nave. It consists of a cycle of 28 frescoes depicting the life of San Francesco. You'll probably recognize some of the scenes. The Miracle of the Crucifix for example. It shows the chapel of San Damiano where God spoke to Francesco. Other recognizable scenes are the Renunciation of Worldly Goods, where Francesco gives money and his clothes to his father, and the Sermon to the Birds.
Part of the Legend of San Francesco fresco cycle, traditionally attributed to Giotto.
The Miracle of the Crucifix in the chapel of San Damiano (left), and the Renunciation of Worldly Goods (right). Francesco looks to the hand of God and declares God to be his only father.
Art historians have differing views about who painted the cycle of frescoes. Most believe it to be the work of Giotto and his assistants, but some point to differences in style between the cycle in Assisi and the frescoes in the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padova. But whoever painted them, the frescoes are magnificent to look at. Feel free to sit down and admire them one by one. What is your favorite scene?
Basilica Superiore di San Francesco d'Assisi.
Practical information
| Address: | Piazza Inferiore di San Francesco, 2, Assisi (Google Maps) |
| Open: |
Basilica Inferiore; Mon - Sun 6:00 to 18:30 Crypt; Mon - Sun 6:00 to 18:00 Basilica Superiore; Mon - Sun 8:30 to 17:45 |
| Entree fees: | Entrance to the basilica is free |
