Assisi

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We went to Assisi the first weekend here for orientation. Assisi is absolutely gorgeous, even in neverending rain! It is so clean and beautiful that it almost seems like a fake town on a movie set or something. The streets are small and fairly easy to navigate. It is very easy to just wander around (there aren't even any stoplights).

The first day my group had a workshop and some freetime. Even though it was pouring and freezing, we decided to walk around the town and find some caffe. We found a really pretty little pastry shop and got some delicious sweets and espresso. It took us hours to dry out though!

The next day we had a walking tour through Assisi to St. Francis's basicilca. It was only drizzling, so walking through the streets we were able to admire gorgeous frescoes dating back to the 1200s on the sides of buildings. We also saw some of the oldest examples of rose windows, so simple that they looked like a simple bicycle wheel. St. Francis's church was beautiful. Along one wall are huge paintings of St. Francis's life, and along the other are depictions of Jesus Christ. St. Francis was thought to be comparable to Christ, the second Christ, in his humanity (certainly not in His divinity).

We then walked to St. Clare's. Along the way we had amazing views from the top of Mt. Assisi over the fields below for miles and miles. It was absolutely breathtaking. In St. Clare's we descended into the basement to see St. Clare, where she lies incorruptable. It was definitely amazing to behold, although slightly eerie.

Our last stop was a basilica down from the mountain. It was built over the original tiny stone chapel of St. Francis and his followers in order to preserve it. Next to the chapel, and still inside the church, is where St. Francis died.

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