"San Francesco"
Assisi is the birthplace of St. Francis, the leader of the Franciscan religious order and one of the most venerated religious figures of all time. I myself am not religious, but I found Assisi and La Verna to be places of incredible spiritual presence. Assisi is home to the Church of St. Clare, Francis' protege. Inspired by his teachings, Clare went ahead to found her own religious order for women (the Order of the Poor Ladies/Clares) that was based on her philosophy- "the privilege to be poor." In essence, Clare believed that living in poverty and depending on the charity of others was essential to becoming as close to God as possible. In Assisi, we were able to go inside the basilica constructed in her honour, which houses some clothing and possessions of hers and St Francis', as well as her hair (yes, her hair), and her remains. In addition, we visited San Francesco, the church of St. Francis himself. Within this place you can see his tomb, and you can actually descend beneath it to view the altar/shrine below. It is interesting to note how ornate the church is, as St. Francis was a man who lived an extremely minimal lifestyle. Had he been alive to see San Francesco, I think he may have been appalled by what he saw (although by today's standards the church is an architectural marvel).
We also had the opportunity to visit La Verna, a monastic retreat high in the hills outside of Assisi. This is a place of infamous spiritual significance. It was here that St. Francis received the "stigmata," or the wounds of Christ, during a 40 day meditation in a small cave. It was interesting to see the way St. Francis lived... the cave itself is tiny, bare, damp, and cold. He spent 40 days here, meditating in the name of the God he loved. Visiting La Verna gives one a true appreciation (no matter their religious beliefs) for St. Francis' dedication and fervent adoration of Jesus Christ.
"La Verna"
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