Assisi, Italy

Hi everyone! Since nobody has posted for here for way toooo long, I will put up a few pictures I took when I went to Italy.

This church here is the Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi (Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi). There is so much history here, I don't know where to begin. First of all, Assisi is the birthplace of St. Francis, and he is buried inside this church, but this church wasn't even around when St. Francis was alive. Before St. Francis died he told his brothers to bury him at the edge of the cliff of Assisi, where criminals were executed. The land was so barren and bleak that nobody wanted to go near it. It used to be called Hell's hill but now with the church built, it is called Paradise hill. The first foundation stone was laid by Pope Gregory IX, the day right after St. Francis was canonized (7/16/1228).

It is also the mother church of the Franciscan Friars.

Inside the lower church is the tomb of St. Francis - sober and humble, to reflect St. Francis' life of poverty

Next time I'll post a picture of Santa Maria degli Angeli, which is just down the hill from this basilica. It is an even more awesome place because

1) it is where St. Francis actually died (and lived)

2) there is a bed of roses without thorns because ...

3) it was actually built to accomodate pilgrims who visit the "Porziuncola" - a TINY TINY chapel inside that is only big enough to fit 15 ppl or so... what's so special about it?!

Waving gooodbye to Assisi from our car