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# 84 OCTOBER 17 , 2016
One of the most famous towns in Italy is
Assisi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
and, above all, homeland of St. Francis,
the man who renounced all his possessions in order to devote his life to helping the needy. Dedicated to him is the
splendid Basilica, one of the emblems of
Christianity, located on Mount Subasio,
from which it overlooks the entire valley.
Apart from being a strong appeal for
millions of religious believers, the Basilica is a monument of great artistic value.
St. Francis's Basilica consists of two churches laid upon each other and a crypt
containing the tomb of the Saint.
The Lower Basilica, with a double front
portal, presents a simple facade embellished with a rose window and a mosaic.
The interior is decorated with frescoes
by some of the most important painters
from 1200 to 1300, from Cimabue to
Giotto and from the Lorenzettis to Simone Martini. The light that filters through
the beautiful stained glass windows by
Giovanni di Bonino and Puccio Capanna
creates a very suggestive ambience.
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ries of the Old and New Testament covering the entire nave, and other wonderful frescoes by Cimabue and Torriti.
Another figure who has deeply influenced these places is Saint Clare, to whom
the homonymous Basilica - presenting
a facade made of white and pink stone
and divided into three sections by horizontal cornices - is dedicated. The engaging interior frescoes and the remains of
the Saint are visible through a window in
the crypt.
The Duomo is dedicated to the other
saint of Assisi, San Ruffino (St. Rufinus).
It was rebuilt according to the design by
Giovanni da Gubbio. The splendid Romanesque facade has three portals and,
in the middle, a rose window surrounded by symbols of the Four Evangelists.
The internal restructuring with three naves is attributed to Galeazzo Alessi, while works by Carlone, Giovanni Antonio
Grecolini and del Giorgetti decorate the
interior.
The Temple of Minerva is also a work of
In the Upper Basilica, it is possible to see great interest; it is one of the best prethe life cycle of St. Francis in frescoes served Roman buildings, eventually bepainted by maestro Giotto, and the sto- coming the Church of Saint Mary.
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