Assisi is very famous for being the birthplace of St. Francis (italian San Francesco), who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208, and St. Clare (Chiara d’Offreducci), the founder of the Poor Sisters, which later became the Order of Poor Clares after her death.

Being a point of connection since 1000 b.C., Assisi was effectively born under the Roman empire and it evolved within Roman walls until the XIV century.

A quiet town over the centuries, Assisi is now linked in legend with its native son, St. Francis. The gentle saint founded the Franciscan order and he is remembered by many, even non-Christians, as a lover of nature (his preaching to an audience of birds is one of the legends of his life).

The Basilica of San Francesco is divided in Basilica Inferiore and Basilica Superiore. The lower church has frescoes by the late-medieval artists Cimabue and Giotto and there is the crypt, where the remains of the saint are interred; the upper church houses frescoes of scenes in the life of St. Francis ascribed to Giotto.

The two are linked by a grand stairway.

Assisi was hit by two devastating earthquakes, that shook Umbria in September 1997. The recovery and restoration have been remarkable, although much remains to be done.

Indeed, the Basilica was badly damaged by a 5.5 earthquake, during which part of the vault collapsed, killing four people inside the church and carrying with it a fresco by Cimabue. The edifice was closed for two years for restoration.

Hope you enjoyed this brief article,

(credits to Wikipedia 🙂 )