The Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Umbria

Two years after St. Francis of Assisi died, construction began on the impressive double church that is the Basilica of Saint Francis. The first stone was laid by Pope Gregory IX in 1228, a symbolic act that marked the huge importance of St. Francis to the Church. The double Basilica comprises two churches, one on top of the other.

The Basilica of St Francis Assisi Umbria

Upper Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi, Umbria

The Upper Basilica of Saint Francis is better illuminated than the lower church, every available space on the vaulted ceilings and walls is covered in paintings and unusually, there are no aisles on the side of the nave. This is because the Upper Basilica was designed as a preaching church intended to accommodate large congregations.

Giotto’s St. Francis Fresco Cycle

Giotto: St. Francis Expels The Demons From Arezzo. Upper Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

The most famous frescoes are the 28 panels depicting the story of St. Francis attributed to Giotto: Giotto’s St. Francis Frescoes. These large panels (painted around 1290) are easy to see because of their position low on the walls and mark a shift away from static, two dimensional medieval paintings that was heavily influenced by the art of Byzantium. It was a move towards the more realistic painting of the Renaissance which would start just over a hundred years later.

Giotto: St Francis Preaches to the Birds

Above them and harder to view is another fresco cycle, on the left wall the Old Testament and on the right wall the New Testament. Depending on who you read, these paintings are attributed to Pietro Cavallini, a Roman painter, or other Roman artists, Jacopo Torriti and Filippo Rusuti, originally they were attributed to Cimabue, the teacher of Giotto.

Cimabue’s Frescoes In The Upper Basilica

The apse of the Upper Basilica is painted with a fresco cycle by Cimabue (around 1277). Unfortunately, he used a lot of lead based white paint which oxidised and turned black, however, it does have the dramatic effect of looking like a photographic negative. In the right transept there are frescoes depicting the Life of Saint Peter, the apse shows the Life of the Virgin Mary, supposedly the first fresco cycle to deal with this subject and the left transept has a large crucifixion.

Cimabue's Crucifixion, Upper Basilica, Assisi, Umbria, Italy

Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

The Lower Basilica is different to the upper church, there is less light and the nave is flanked by side chapels on both sides. The Lower Basilica was built to house the body of Saint Francis but his burial was so secret that the sealed entrance to the crypt was forgotten about between the 1400’s and 1818.

Frescoes In The Chapels,  Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

The most famous chapel in the Lower Basilica is the Chapel of Saint Martin frescoed by Simone Martini on the left hand side nearest to the entrance: Simone Martini Chapel of St Martin, Lower Basilica, Assisi.

Simone Martini: St Martin is Knighted, Chapel of St. Martin, Assisi, Umbria

The chapel on the right just before the transept is the chapel of Mary Magdalene. Painted either by Giotto or his followers, it shows the story of Mary Magdelene. The panel showing Mary Magdalene sailing to Marseilles will be of interest to readers of the Da Vinci Code.

Detail From Noli Me Tangere, Mary Magdalene Chapel, Assisi, Umbria

Frescoes in the Transepts, Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

The transept of the lower church is covered in some impressive frescoes by Cimabue, followers of Giotto and Pietro Lorenzetti. If it weren’t for the more famous frescoes in the Upper Basilica, people would come to Assisi just to see these paintings.

Pietro Lorenzetti, Left Transept, Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

 

Pietro Lorenzetti's Last Supper in the Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

 

 

Pietro Lorenzetti’s frescoes are in the left transept and show scenes from the passion of Christ. These superb frescoes show his full range:  colourful crowd scenes in the Entry into Jerusalem and the Road to Calvary; his mastery of perspective when drawing buildings in The Last Supper and Washing of the Disciples’ feet (around a hundred years before the rules of perspective were properly worked out) and the ability to observe small details such as a cat sleeping by the fire in the painting of the Last Supper. He was also a master of composition, look at the way the body of Jesus diagonally divides the Deposition.

Pietro Lorenzetti's Deposition in the Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

Pietro Lorenzetti: Christ Enters Jerusalem, Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

Giotto Frescoes, Vaulted Ceiling, Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

The allegorical frescoes of Poverty, Obedience and Chastity along with St. Francis on the vaulted ceiling are painted either by Giotto, his followers or the so called Maestro della Vele (Master of the Vaults), depending on who you read!

Giotto's Allegory of Chastity in The Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

Cimabue, Simone Martini & Giotto Frescoes, Right Transept, Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

The right transept has a famous portrait of St. Francis by Cimabue. The Virgin Mary With Two Wise Men is by Simone Martini.  The  Childhood of Christ, the Crucifixion and the Posthumous Miracles of St. Francis are attributed to followers of Giotto.

Cimabue's Portrait of St. Francis, Lower Basilica, Assisi, Umbria

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Assisi and the frescoes in the Basilica of St. Francis are close to Gorgacce Rentals’ self-catering Villas, Farmhouses & Apartments on the Tuscany Umbria Border. Gorgacce Rentals, Tuscany Villas Umbria Villas

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