Basilica of Santa Maria, Assisi

The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Saint Mary of the Angels) is a church situated in the plain at the foot of the hill of Assisi. The basilica was constructed between 1569 and 1679. At that time, the 9th century little church, the Porziuncola, the most sacred place for the Franciscans, was enclosed by the exisiting larger church. It was here that the young Francis of Assisi understood his vocation and renounced the world in order to live in poverty among the poor and thus started the Franciscan movement.

We spent the morning of Tuesday, September 30 here before heading back to Rome.