Basilica di San Francesco (Basilica of St. Francis) - Assisi
N 43° 04.483 E 012° 36.334
33T E 305065 N 4771895
The Basilica of St. Francis is a memorial to St. Francis, who preached and lived a simple life of poverty, abstinence, and renunciation of worldly goods. The bi-level basilica is one of the world's focal points of both high art and intense spirituality.
Waymark Code: WMMWW3
Location: Umbria, Italy
Date Posted: 11/16/2014
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Brother Francis died in Assisi on October 3, 1226. Less than two years later, plans were underway for the construction of a church in his honor. The main parties involved were the Friars Minor, Pope Gregory IX (who, as a cardinal, had enjoyed a close friendship with Francis), and the people of Assisi.
Playing an especially large role in the planning was St. Francis' disciple and fellow-worker Brother Elias. Although devout, he was more worldly than Francis, and the popularity and staying power of the Franciscan order probably owes a great deal to Elias' marketing skills.
On March 29, 1228, a site for the church was donated to the Pope by Simone di Pucciarello. Located outside the Assisi city walls on the western tip of Asio hill, the land had formerly been used for state executions and was accordingly known as the "Hill of Hell." A month later, Pope Gregory IX granted an indulgence of 40 days out of purgatory to all who contributed donations and work to the new church.
The pope spent most of the month of May in Assisi, both to oversee the process of Francis' canonization and to oversee the planning of the church. Francis was officially declared a saint on July 16, 1228; the following day, the pope laid the first stone of the Church of St. Francis.
The main part of the lower church was completed by May 25, 1230, when the body of St. Francis was transferred from San Giorgio to its new resting place. Upon arrival, the body was immediately hidden in the earth beneath the high altar and sealed up with stone, to prevent any part of them being stolen. This is usually said to have been done by Brother Elias, although Elvio Lunghi attributes it to "the citizens of Assisi." The relics were not rediscovered until the 19th century.
Both churches were consecrated by Pope Innocent IV in 1253 and the building was designated a Major Basilica in 1288. The impressive frescoes that decorate the interior were painted by Cimabue, Giottoand others in the late 1200s and early 1300s.