Assisi

The Heart of Italy

Kathryn Lemmon

The hill towns of central Italy offer outstanding examples of medieval architecture, but one, Assisi, stands above the rest. Considered the most famous hill town, Assisi was the home of Saint Francis, known the world over for his rare blend of piety and humility. His boundless love of nature, especially animals, has endeared him to millions around the world.

Apart from Rome, Assisi is Italy's greatest place of pilgrimage, thanks to Francis. The city and the man have become inseparable.Assisi is northeast of Rome, three hours by rail. The train, which is on the Folignio-Terontola line, stops at the base of Mt. Subasio. The train station actually sits three miles from Assisi.

From the station, a city bus travels up the steep hill, every half hour. The city is small enough to view the main attractions on foot, if you have a full day, comfortable walking shoes and a map.

Besides its obvious historical significance, Assisi has something else: amid the winding cobblestone streets and antiquated buildings, the true Italy of our imagination emerges. Assisi is not just a place to be visited. . .it should be absorbed.

The spiritual intensity of the man has also laid permanent claim to the city, which even busloads of day-trippers cannot dispel. Another secret of Assisi is its capacity to bring the distant past back to life, including the poignant testimony of a simple man who preached to the birds and desired nothing more than a pallet for rest and an opportunity to help others.

Francis, at a time when others in the church were hoarding riches and attempting to control politics, stood out from the crowd. He followed a decidedly different path, preaching about the joy of giving to others, rather than seeking glory for himself. His avid respect for nature made him a man centuries ahead of his time. Even today, few saints are as beloved as Francis.

Saint Francis was born in Assisi to wealthy parents in the year 1182. After a life-threatening illness and a failed military expedition, Francis lapsed into a deep trance. He awoke from this state a vastly changed individual. Casting off his rich garments, Francis replaced them with a rough tunic, thus symbolizing his rejection of the outside world.

Francis became quite a force to reckon with in the 12th century, gaining wide popularity for sermonizing in the language of the common people, Italian, rather than in the standard of the day, Latin.

Like Francis himself, the town of Assisi would never be the same again. This hilltop community will forever be associated with Francis, St. Clare and the Franciscans.

Clare, also born of a rich and noble lineage, ran away from home at age 17 to become a disciple of Francis and later head the Franciscan order of women known as the Poor Clares.Assisi reclines gracefully on the slopes of Mt. Subasio, in the Umbria region of central Italy.

Historians are unable to date the exact origins of the town, but legend says a town existed on the spot 865 years even before Rome, which is known as the Eternal City!

The Umbria region is often referred to as the "green heart" of Italy. A mountainous area, the lush fertile valleys produce durum wheat, grapes and particularly fine olives. Tasty virgin olive oil is the regional condiment, which no dinner table lacks. Umbria is one of the few places in Italy were bread still tastes like wheat and natural yeast.

Flatbreads are baked on open hearth, over embers of a wood fire. Modern-day visitors to Assisi will be hard pressed to find evidence of our fast-paced, high-tech world, but that's a good thing. Change comes slowly, if at all, to this part of Italy. A majority of the buildings in Assisi, whether humble or grand, are constructed from the same light-pink stone, creating the distinctive image so often photographed.

The deteriorated stone walkways are evidence of the multitude of pilgrims who have made this journey. Many of the "streets" are actually the width of our sidewalks, far too narrow for anything but two-wheeled transportation. Fortunately, a significant portion of the town cannot accommodate automobiles at all. The ordinary sounds of blaring horns and rumbling engines are absent, creating instead a restful, Old World silence and a welcome solitude.

A population of about 6,000 people lives within the surrounding city walls, and it is easy to see that the residents of Assisi love their hometown. In season, cascades of flowers fall from wall sconces, adding a vibrant splash of color to the mellow stone. Crimson geraniums can be found in every nook and cranny, while fragrant gardens fill corners and alleyways.

The streets of Assisi are maze-like in configuration, so try to lose yourself for an hour or two. It shouldn't be difficult. In the main square, called the Piazza Del Comune, sits the Temple of Minerva. Amazingly, this structure is believed to have been constructed in the first century B.C. With six Corinthian columns, the classical architecture provides a marked contrast to the medieval period buildings along either side. The people of Assisi have wisely let the pagan structure stand, although the inside has been converted to a church, so as not to offend the devout.

This piazza, with its congenial outdoor cafes, is an ideal spot to watch the people stroll past, while you sip a rejuvenating cup of cappucino. For a local treat, try almond cookies, called fave di morte. Serpentone, another local favorite, is a dessert concoction of almond and dried fruit formed into the shape of a coiled snake.

For an inexpensive lunch, pick up bread, cheese and fruit from the shops along the piazza and find a scenic picnic spot. The birthplace of St. Francis is found not far from the Piazza Del Comune. Once used as a stable, an unpretentious plaque marks the location. In Latin, the inscription reads: "In this oratory, once a stable of a bull and donkey, was born St. Francis, light of the world."

Visitors flock daily to the Basilica of St. Francis, especially the lower section where the saint is buried. This level is penetrated by soft rays filtering in through stained-glass windows in a mystic half-light. Profound emotion fills the entire area.Upon his death in 1226, there was heated debate about building such a costly and elaborate church to honor a man who valued only simplicity. Would the modest Francis have wanted an ostentatious monument to himself? Not likely. Finally, a suitable compromise was reached. The upper church reflects magnificence, while the lower church was constructed in accordance with the austere lifestyle of Francis.

Wall frescoes by Giotto are found in the upper church. This series, dating form 1297 to 1300, depict various scenes from the life of St. Francis. The most famous is The Sermon to the Birds. Though less resplendent than some of the other panels, it is the one most often reproduced. Other prominent works of art in the Basilica are by Cimabue, Martini and Lorenzetti. A number of people come to Assisi for the artwork alone.

Assisi has remarkable churches of all shapes and sizes, but unless you have several days, it is best to limit yourself to visiting three or four. Chiesa Nuova, or New Church, was built in 1615—new by Assisi standards, at least! New Church sits just off the Piazza Del Comune. Baroque in style, legend says the church is built upon the site where Francis spent his boyhood. Not to be missed is an engaging statue of St. Francis and St. Claire, near the church entrance.

The Basilica of St. Clare is a fine example of Italian Gothic architecture, constructed between 1257 and 1265. The body of Clare is preserved in the crypt. This church also houses the famous 12th-century crucifix, which supposedly spoke to Francis, explaining his true mission in life.

The Cathedral of St. Rufino, with its impressive Romanesque facade, dates from 1140, with interior alteration from the 16th century. It is named for Rufino, who died a martyr to his faith when Christianity began to spread in the third century A.D. Three decorative rose windows grace the front of the building. The baptismal font where St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized lies inside. A picturesque square bell tower, built on the site of an ancient Roman cistern, sits next to the Cathedral.

On a crest of yet another hill above Assisi sits the Rocca Maggiore, or Great Fort. The fort, often referred to as a castle, should be visited if for no other reason than the panoramic view of the Umbrian countryside. Besides papal and imperial domination, Assisi was subject to the Ostrogoths, Byzantines and their arch-rivals, the Perugians. From the end of the 14th century onward, a succession of power-hungry lords fought each other for ultimate control of the town. The city was even torn by violent feuds between the upper and lower classes. In 1860, the city was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy, at least for the foreseeable future.

St. Francis, forever the messenger of peace, truly believed all men are brother, whether rich or poor, saints or sinners. For him, even the sun and the moon were his dearest kinfolk. He embraced the unity of all God's creations, from the tiniest, injured sparrow to the most grand nobleman. Both were equal in his benevolent eyes. Something pure and good has survived over the years in Assisi, something even a hard-boiled skeptic could not deny.

Assisi is not the only quaint town in Umbria—far from it. A number of charming villages dot this central region of Italy. Here are the highlights of this wondrous region.

ORVIETO In southwest Umbria—sitting atop a plateau that was forced upward from the valley floor by the movement of volcanoes—this town is sure to delight. Situated on the Rome to Florence train line, it is easily accessible. The city's duomo is deemed the most elaborate of the churches in Umbria. It is a masterpiece of Romanesque-Gothic architecture and has a green-and-white marble interior and exterior. Over the years, excavations have revealed the city's Etruscan past, including wine caves and wells.

TODI In the south-central part of the province, this village with a fairytale-like ambience and sits high above a valley purported to once contain 365 castles, one for each day of the year. The town's must-see attraction is the Piazza del Popolo; on the piazza is Todi's duomo, adorned by rose-colored windows.From the piazza you can take a staircase that winds its way to the Palazzo del Popolo, built in 1213, with its battlements, and the Palazzo del Capitano, built in 1292 in the same style.

SPOLETO Also in south-central Umbria, this village is one of the most beautiful in the province. Spoleto is built over a hillside, featuring a well-preserved castle, then drops off to a gorge that is wooded and spanned by a bridge. Most of the main sites are in the upper reaches of town, including the duomo, set against a backdrop of hill and sky, with the castle towering above. The food in Spoleto is wonderful, especially its gourmet specialty shops.

GUBBIO In northeast Umbria sits the walled city of Gubbio, perched beside a mountain. It is a medieval commune at heart, which shows through every May 15th during the Corso dei Ceri festival. Ostensibly a religious holiday, the festival seems to take on a different tone as three teams of men lift cylindrical wooden candles topped by an icon and race from the piazza to the basilica.The townspeople, who revere that most powerful of medieval wea-pons, the crossbow, then take target practice—with gusto.

PERUGIA The provincial capital sits due center in Umbria. The city is a bit less tied to its medieval past than other Umbrian villages; nonetheless, there are vestiges of this town's history that are worth seeing. Perugia's main street is Corso Vannucci, which runs between two piazzas, Piazza Italia and Piazza IV Novembre. Two key monuments, Palazzo dei Priori and the duomo, face each other across the Fontana Maggiore, a fountain which dates from 1275 and is adorned by three nymphs.

LAKES OF UMBRIA A number of lakes sit amidst the hills of Umbria. The green waters of Lago Trasimeno in the far north of the province create a playground for Umbrians. A trio of islands sits in the center of the lake. In south-central Umbria near Terni, Lago Piediluco provides a placid spot to spend a leisurely afternoon.—ED.

Kathryn Lemmon writes from Indiana.