The Basilica of St. Francis is one of the artistic and religious highlights of Europe. it rises where Francis was buried, and today welcomes pilgrims, art-lovers, and tourists from around the world.
Lower Basilica Courtyard – The Basilica of St. Francis was begun in 1228, just two years after Francis’s death, and a day after he was made a saint. It was built to house his relics and welcome thousands of Franciscan pilgrims and medieval tourists. Centuries ago this main plaza would have been cluttered with pilgrim services and the medieval equivalent of souvenir shops. The arcades that line the square housed medieval pilgrims.Teh
Francis was born Francesco Bernardone, right here in Assisi, in around the year 1181. His dad was a wealthy cloth dealer, and Francis grew up rich, popular, and a charismatic figure around town. But after serving a stint in the army, he returned home a troubled man. After much fasting, prayer, and soul-searching, he underwent a profound religious conversion that culminated in a dramatic act. He stood before Assisi’s town leaders and renounced all his material possessions. He rejected his own father, stripped off his fine clothing, and ran off into the countryside. There, he practiced a simple form of Christianity that emphasized poverty, chastity, and obedience to God’s will. He attracted many like-minded followers, and the movement grew quickly.
Source: Wikipedia
By the time Francis died in 1226 his once-radical message had been embraced (some would say co-opted) by the Church. Christianity’s most popular saint was glorified in beautiful churches – none more glorious than the Basillica of St. Francis here in Assisi. Looing at the grand doorway of the Lower Basillica, it’s striking that Francis’s message of poverty and simplicity could result in a such a grandiose structure.
Source: Fine Art America
“Good Lord, all your creations bring praise to you! Praise for Brother Sun, who brings the day. His radiance reminds us of you! Praise and bless the Lord, and give thanks, and with humility, serve him.”
Those words were written by Francis himself, and I can’t think of a better way to introduce this church built in his honor. Though the church is important historically, artistically, and culturally, it’s also important to remember that it was, first and foremost, a place for pilgrims seeking God.
Source: In Your Pocket
The Lower Basilica, begun in 1228, was finished in just two years. That’s an astonishing feat, considering that many other medieval cathedrals took centuries to build. The style of the nave is Romanesque. It features round Roman-style arches, minimal decoration, and columns supporting a ceiling of stars. As you’ll see, the Upper Basilica, begun just a few years later, was done in a newer, brighter style that was sweeping Europe – the pointed arches and curlicues of Gothic.
When Francis was buried here, this site was outside the Assisi town walls. It was known as the “Hill of the Damned,” where outcasts were buried. Francis had been an outcast himself, who attracted other mistfits. Now the place is called the “Hill of Paradise”. A 13th-century historian wrote of the new basilica: “No more exquisite monument to the Lord has ever been built.”
Source: Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
The Tomb – The saint’s remains are above the altar in the stone box with the iron ties. These humble relics are why this huge church was built. They sit directly beneath the altar of the Lower Basilica.
Source: Assisi Meditation Retreat – Simple Peace Retreat
In medieval times, pilgrims came to Assisi because St. Francis was buried here. Back then, holy relics – things like a saint’s bones or personal possessions – were the “ruby slippers” of the day. Relics gave you power – they answered your prayers and won your wars – and ultimately helped you get back to your eternal Kansas. Assisi made no bones about promoting Francis’s relics, but his actual tomb was never on public display, for reasons of security. His body had been buried secretly while the basilica was under construction. And over the next 600 years, the exact location was forgotten. It wasn’t until 1818 that they decided the tomb should be opened to the public. And it took more than a month to find his actual remains.
I could not find any pictures of this (they don’t allow pictures inside the basilica -thus why I am using other people’s pictures), but Francis’ four closest friends and followers are memorialized in the corners of the tomb. There is a fifth tomb as well – it’s opposite the altar, up the steps between the entrance and exit. It is a small copper box behind the metal grill. It contains the remains of Francis’ rich Roman patron, Jacopa dei Settesoli. She traveled to see Francis on his deathbed, but was turned away because she was female. Francis waived the rule and welcomed “Brother Jacopa” to his side.
Source: Our Lady of the Angels Province
In the early 1200s, Francis and his fellow non-conformists caused quite a stir. They not only followed Christ’s teachings – they followed Christ’s lifestyle, living as poor, wandering preachers. They traded a life of power and riches for one of obedience, poverty, and chasity. They called themselves “fratelli or “brothers” – Fra Francis, Fra Giovanni, and so on. They slept in fields, begged for food, and exuded the joy of non-materialism. Franciscan friars were known as the “jugglers of God.” They modeled themselves on French troubadours (called “jougleurs,” or jugglers) who roved the countryside singing, telling stories, and cracking jokes. Francis and his friends were never ordained as priests, but their influence on Christianity was monumental.
These five tombs – in the Franciscan spirt of being with your friends – were brought here in the 19th century. The candles you see are the only real candles in the church (others are electric). Pilgrims pay a coin, pick up a candle, and placed it at the tomb. Franciscans will light it later. We certainly did this for both of our families.
The Lower Basilica – The Nave – The Basilica of St. Francis is a theological work of genius. The frescoes lining the nave would lead pilgrims, from one theological concept to the next, to the altar, where they could meet God through the sacraments.
The nave has parallel scenes – the Life of Christ on the right, and the Life of Francis is on the left. Unfortunately, some precious frescoes were cut away when the church was remodeled to build side chapels for rich patrons.
The fresco above is above the entry to Francis’ tomb. We can only see the lower half – but we can see that Christ is being taken down from the cross, and it looks like the story is over. Death, Defeat. But checking out the fresco directly across the nave, Francis is preaching to the birds, reminding the faithful that the message of the Gospel survives.
Source: Vermont Public
The Franciscan realm is a space were God, man, and the natural world frolic harmoniously. Francis treated every creature – animal, peasant, pope – with equal respect. In an Italy torn by conflict between towns and families. Francis promoted peace and the restoration of order. While the Church was waging bloody Crusades, Francis pushed ecumenism and understanding. And the Franciscan message had an impact. In 1288, jus t62 years after Francis died, a Franciscan became pope. Francis’ message also led to Church reforms that many believe actually delayed the Protestant Reformation by a century.
Source: Britannica
As I look around this remarkable nave, I consider where that word “nave” come from. “Navis” is Latin for ship, probably because the church ceilings looked like a ship’s hull. The church was thought of as a community of believers sailing on a spiritual journey. The prayers coming out of the nave fill the triangular sections of the ceiling – called vele, or sails – with spiritual wind. With a priest as a navigator and the altar for a helm, faith propels the ship to God.
The Lower Basilica Altar Frescoes – Here at the altar, we’re standing directly above the tomb of St. Francis. Above the altar are four scenes fitted into the criss-cross vauting. They were painted around 1330 by the ground-breaking artist, Giotto.
Three of the scenes represent the three virtues of the Franciscan creed. First up on the left is “Obedience”. Francis appears twice in this scene, once wearing a rope harness and then kneeling in front of Lady Obedience.
Source: Web Gallery of Art
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The next virtue is “Chasity”. She sits in her tower of purity held up by two angels.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The third scene is “Poverty”. Here Jesus blesses the marriage as Francis slips a ring on Lady Poverty. In the foreground are two pint-size merchants – the new rich of a thriving northern Italy. They ‘re throwing sticks and stones at the bride. But poverty, in her patched wedding dress, is fertile and strong, and even bare brambles blossom into a rosebush crown.
These three virtues – Obedience, Chasity, and Poverty – were Francis’s main message. Especially poverty. Francis called money the “devil’s dung.” Having been born in a upwardly mobile world of budding capitalists, Francis preached the simple lifestyle of Jesus. He rejected the extravagant clothes his father sold. He and his monks wore simple brown tunics with a rope for a belt. By contrast, rich people of the day wore jeweled belts that held their bag of coins and a weapon to protect it. The Franciscan belt was a simple rope, with three knots, symbolizing their three vows.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Here is the fourth scene – Francis on a heavenly throne dressed in a rich, golden robe. After his death, he was crowned with glory in heaven – the reward for an earthly life of obedience, chastity and poverty.
Source: Web Gallery of Art
The North Transept Frescoes – The decoration of this church brought together the greatest artists of the day. From Siena came Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti, and from Florence, Cimabue and Giotto. The painted scenes are mostly from the life of Jesus. In the year 1300, this was radical art. Unlike the pious icons of earlier generations, these scenes feature real-life landscapes, trees and people.
Source: Oil Paintings
Above I’ve included the Crucifixion by Giotto (or at least by his workshop). it was done around 1310. It show Christ on the cross surrounded by eight sparrow-like angels. for the first time, holy people are expressing emotion. Christ’s spindly body hangs heavily on the cross. One angel turns her head sadly at the sight of Jesus, and another scratches her hands down her cheeks, drawing blood. Mary, at the lower left, has fainted in sorrow. Others throw their hands up in despair. Giotto, Europe’s first great naturalist painter, found the perfect audience in the Franciscans, with their goal of bringing God to the people.
Source: MeisterDrucke
Above, the Madonna Enthroned, is probably by Cimabue, from around 1290. Though less emotional than Giotto’s work, it does have one important feature. To the right of Mary and the angels stands St. Francis. This is considered the most accurate portrait we have of Francis. Cimabue, who lived a full generation after Francis, painted it according to a description by someone who knew Francis personally. Contemporaries described Francis as being short, with a graceful build, dark hair, and a sparse beard. The sunroof haircut (called a tonsure) was standard for monks of the day. According to legend, the brown robe and rope belt were inventions of necessity. When Francis striped naked and ran away from Assisi, he grabbed the first clothes he could, a rough wool peasant’s tunic and a piece of rope. And this became the uniform of the Franciscan order. Notice his hands and feet. It shows Francis with the stigmata – the wounds Christ received when he was crucified. Whether true or not, it’s one of the enduring legends of Francis’s life. Francis, through his powerful faith, was able to feel Christ’s pain so empathetically, that his own body bore the marks.
Source: Web Gallery of Art
Before leaving the transept, we see a final fresco – Francis Receiving the Stigmata by Pietro Lorenzetti. Francis is considered the first person ever to earn the marks of the cross through his great faith and love of the Church.
The Courtyard – The courtyard overlooks the 15th-century cloister, the heart of this monastic complex. In its heyday, the monastery hosted hundreds of monks – today, there are about 40. Balanced and peaceful by design, the courtyard also functioned as a cistern to collect rainwater, supplying enough for 200 monks. Since the Franciscan order emphasizes teaching, this monastery functioned as a kind of divinity school. Monks came here for a six-month course of study, then returned home more prepared and better inspired to preach effectively. That explains the complex narrative of the frescoes wallpapering the walls and halls throughout the Basilica and monastery.
Source: Life in Italy
The Upper Basilica – The light is glorious in this spacious, airy, and colorful church. It’s completely different from the darker Romanesque lower basilica, built just a few years earlier. The Upper Basilica is Gothic, featuring pointed arches, a soaring roof, and stained glass. Started around 1230, this is considered the first Gothic church in Italy. Admire the design in the round window in the west end – high above the main entry. The tiny center piece reads “IHS” the first three letters of Jesus’ name in Greek.
Source: Towns of Europe
This trippy kaleidoscope seems to declare that all light radiates from Jesus. The windows here are treasures from the 13th and 14th centuries. Those behind the altar are the oldest of all – among the oldest and most precious in all of Italy.
Source: Umbria Tourism
Imagine illiterate medieval peasants entranced by these windows, so full of meaning that they were nicknamed “Bibles of the Poor.” The place was usually packed with pilgrims. When sitting in pew, one notices that the pulpit can be seen and heard from every spot. The mission of the order was to fill the church and preach. If the preacher wanted to talk about the life of St. Francis, he had the perfect visual aids – the colorful frecoes by Giotto that line the walls.
Source: Rick Steves Europe
For art-lovers, the basilica’s main draw is these frescoes. Giotto and his assistants practically wallpapered the upper basilica sometime around the year 1300. Or perhaps the job was subcontracted to other artists – scholars debate it. The frescoes show scenes from the life of St. Francis.
Source: Web Gallery of Art
Giotto di Bondone grew from humble beginnings to be the wealthiest and most famous painter of his day. When he was around age 30, he was chosen by the Franciscans to paint the upper Basilica frescoes. It put him on the artistic map and revolutionized the art of painting. His scenes were more realistic and human than anything done for a thousand years. He broke ground by introducing nature – rocks, trees, animals – as a backdrop for his scenes. He set scenes inside buildings or in a courtyard, to give a sense the action was taking place in three-dimensional space. Giotto’s people – with their deeply creased robes – are as sturdy and massive as ancient Greek statues. His figures exude stage presence. Their gestures are simple but expressive: A head tilted down says dejection, an arm flung out indicates grief, clasped hands indicate hope. Giotto’s storytelling style is straightforward, and anyone with knowledge of the episodes of Francis’ life can read the church like a graphic novel.
The realistic anatomy, architectural depth, and drama of these frescoes foreshadows the Renaissance, a century later. The Upper Basilica represents a new age in European art and culture – toward a more down-to-earth, human-centered view. Just what the Franciscans were all about.
Scene 1 – A common man spreads his cape before Francis – Young Francis receives the honor while standing in front of the Temple of Minerva on Assisi’s Piazza del Comune. Before his conversion, young Francis was the model of manhood – handsome, intelligent, and well dressed, befitting the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. Above all, he was liked by everyone, a natural charmer who led his fellow teens in nights of wine, women, and song. Medieval pilgrims understood the deeper meaning of this scene: the “eye” of God (symbolized by the rose window in the Temple of Minerva) looks over the young Francis. But Francis is still a dandy, “imprisoned” in his own selfishness, symbolized by the Temple – with barred windows – that was once a prison.
Scene 2 – Francis offers his cape to a needy stranger – Francis was always generous of spirit. He became more so after being captured in battle and held for a year as a prisoner of war, then suffering from illness. Charity was a Franciscan forte. Also, notice how Giotto places the scene at the foot of two rocky hillsides topped with a city and a church – a vista right out of medieval Assisi. The donkey bending down to graze adds a natural touch. So simple, but – for art – so revolutionary for the time.
Scene 3 – Francis is visited by the Lord in a dream – Still unsure of his calling, Francis rode off to the Crusades. One night, he’s visited by Christ in a dream. Christ shows him a palace filled with armor marked with crosses. Christ tells him to leave the army – to become what you might consider the first “conscientious objector” – and go home to wait for a non-military assignment in a new kind of knighthood. He returned to Assisi, where he was reviled as a coward. But he was fighting a spiritual battle, for wisdom, not earthly power and material riches.
Scene 4 – Francis prays to the crucifix – Francis retreated to the run-down Church of San Damiano, in the valley below Assisi. After months of fasting and meditating, Francis kneels in the church and prays. Suddenly, the crucifix speaks. It tells him” “Go and rebuild my Church, which you can see has fallen into ruin.” Francis started renovating San Damiano. To pay for it, he took his father’s precious cloth and sold it. His father was furious and dragged him before the bishop.
Scene 5 – Francis relinquishes his possessions – This is the pivotal scene in Francis’s dramatic life. His father, in yellow, accuses his wayward son of stealing, in front of the bishop and the whole town. Francis strips naked and hands his trendy clothes back to his astonished dad. He renounces all his wealth – his credit cards, iPhone, and time-share on Capri. 🙂 Francis raises his hand and says, “Until now, I called you my father. From now on, my only father is my Father in Heaven.” Notice God’s hand blessing the action from above. Francis then ran off into the hills, naked and singing. In this version, Francis’s nakedeness is covered up by the bishop, symbolizing his transition from a man of the world to man of the Church. Notice the disbelief and concern on the people’s faces. They can’t believe any sane person would give up all this wealth. Subtle expressions like these were groundbreaking in European art.
Scene 6 – The Pope has a dream – Francis headed to Rome, seeking the pope’s blessing on his fledgling movement. The pope initially rebuffed Francis. But here we see him having a dream – a very “uplifting” dream – of a simple, barefooted man who props up a teetering Church. Francis and his movement would reinvigorate the Christian faith, fulfilling God’s command that Francis “Go and rebuild my church.”
Scene 7 – The pope confirms the Franciscan order – Francis and his gang kneel before the pope and receive a piece of paper. This is the document that is in the relic chapel. It legitimized their mission and the creation of the Franciscan order.
You can see Scene 8 (vision of the flaming chariot) and Scene 9 (vision of thrones) above.
Above – Scene 10 is the exorcism of demons in Arezza.
Scene 11 – St. Francis before the sultran – Francis’ wandering ministry took him to Egypt during the Crusades. That was in 1219. According to one account, he walked unarmed into a Muslim army camp. They captured him, and – as this fresco shows – took him to the sultan. The sultan gestures from his throne, ordering Francis to prove the power of Christianity by walking through fire. Francis was willing to do just that, leaving the sultan let Francis go, he told him, “I’d convert to your faith, but they’d kill us both.”
Scene 12 – The Ecstacy of St. Francis – This is an often-painted scene from Francis’s life. It shows the mystic communing with Christ. Do the figures look a bit subpar to you? That may mean they were done by Giotto’s assistants.
I’ve skipped Scene 13 – The Creche at Greccio. Could not fine a good picture. But it is the picture in which Francis invents the tradition of manger scenes. Creches – called “preseppi” in Italian – and living manger scenes are still very popular in Italy at Christmas time.
Scene 14 – Miracle of the Spring – Francis gets water out or a rock to quench a stranger’s thirst. Notice the natural details – the rocky hills, the trees, the stranger’s donkey. Giotto loved to paint nature. In fact, according to legend, his talent was first discovered when he was a 12-year-old shepherd boy. He was seen painting a picture of a sheep on a slab of rock. Coincidentally, Francis also loved nature. Roaming the hills around Assisi, he seemed to see the Creator in the creation.
Scene 15 – The Sermon to the birds – In his best-known miracle, Francis is surrounded by birds as they listen to him talk about God. Giotto catches the late arrivals in mid-flight, and astonishing technical feat for an artist more than a century before the Renaissance. Breaking the stiff, iconic mold for saints, Francis bends forward at the waist to talk to his fellow creatures. The simple gesture of Francis’ companion speaks volumes about his amazement. The diversity of the birds symbolizes how all humankind is equally precious in God’s sight. Even the tree bends down symmetrically to catch a few words from the beloved hippie of Assisi. Francis is regarded as the patron saint of the environment and of animals.
Pilgrims who saw this were reminded that, like the birds, God gives us life, plenty of food, wings, and a world to fly around in. A monk here reminded me that even a student backpacker today eats as well as the wealthiest nobleman in the days of Francis.
Scene 17 – Francis preaching to Pope Honorius III – Even popes listened intently when Francis spoke. Francis was not a bombastic orator. He spoke plainly, improvising and speaking from the heart, a style that impressed even knights, kings, and popes.
Scene 18 – The apparition at Arles – In this scene, as the faithful are gathered in a room in southern France, suddenly Francis seemed to appear among them. This illustrated how Francis could be in two places at once – something only Jesus and saints can pull off. Of the many legends surrounding Francis’s life, some of them are, frankly, pretty outlandish. On the other hand, there’s the miracle we’ll see in the next panel….
Scene 19 – Francis receives the stigmata – It’s September 17th, 1224. Francis is on nearby Mount Alverna, pondering the pain of Christ’s torture and execution. Suddenly, he looks up, startled. A six-winged angel (called a seraph) appears. Armed with holy laser-like powers, the seraph burns the marks of the Crucifixion into Francis’s hands, feet and side – it’s the stigmata. For the strength of his faith, Francis is given the marks of his master, the “battle scars of love.” These five wounds suffered by Christ – nails in his palms and feet, and a lance in his side – marked Francis’ body for the rest of his life.
Source of all the panel pictures – Web Gallery of Art
Scene 20 – The Death of St. Francis – As Francis lay dying, he called his brothers – his “fratelli” to gather around. As they kneel and mourn him, Francis’s soul ascends to heaven, borne aloft by angels. He died thanking God and singing his “Canticle of the Sun.” Just as he referred to the sun as his brother and the moon as his sister. Francis called his body “brother donkey.” On his deathbed he conceded, “Maybe I was a bit tough on brother donkey.” Ravaged by an asceticism extreme enough to earn him the stigmata and tuberculosis, Francis died in 1226.
The rest of the panels along the south wall deal with Francis’s funeral, his canonization, and miracles associated with him after his death. Those post-mortem miracles were important to Franciscans, because they made him eligible for sainthood. For art historians, these last panels are less important, because they are les likely to be done by Giotto himself.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this wander thru the Basilica of St. Francis. This basilica – so richly decorated – almost seems to contradict the teachings of the poor monk it honors. but it was built as an act of religious and civic pride to remember the hometown saint. It was also designed – and still functions – as a pilgrimage center and a splendid classroom. The Franciscan Order is alive and well. You’ll see many monks in brown robes and hoods, with rope belts and sandals. These aren’t priests, but lay-people who have taken the Franciscan vow of Obedience, Chastity, and Poverty. Their garb may not give off an “easy-to-approach” vibe, but the Franciscans of today are still God’s jugglers, many of them speak English, and it was delight to talk with a few of them.