Assisi Ironic 4-15-12

Assisi, Italy is a warm, open, beautiful medieval town, the perfect birthplace for the Patron Saint of the 60's, St. Francis. Rising slowly from a fertile farmland plain, it sits comfortably on it's hillside. Yes, it's really old, but it has none of the crowded, crumbly darkness of many 12th century towns. Instead, it has charm....pleasantly flowing streets with sunlight and flowers at every window....and smiley peacefulness unexpected in one of Italy's biggest tourist destinations.

It's not hard to imagine St. Francis, former rich boy, soldier, and short term POW, standing in the middle of the wide open town square, stripping down naked and devoting himself to God, a life of poverty, and love for all living things. Every single vista pays homage to the simple beauties of nature, which had to stand in sharp contrast to the accelerating excess that would become the hallmark of the church of the Renaissance.

Hippies loved St. Francis. His "Canticle to the Sun", with references to Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and our sister Mother Earth, was the perfect manifesto for a generation that wanted to live simply, get back to nature, love everyone and everything, especially doves and cuddly animals. And then there was Claire, also born and baptized in Assisi. Twelve years younger than Francis, also rich and privileged, she was completely taken by him and his message of humility and devotion to God. Joining up on the spot, she let him cut off her long blond hair, and became one of the Brothers, devoting her life to following his example, meeting his every need (including sewing his tunics and making him shoes and socks when he was old), and creating the Order of the Poor Claires, the girl band version of the Franciscan Monks. I have to wonder about the two of them, just as I do about Jesus and Mary Magdalene. I like to think that they were in love (the devoted, chaste, intimate, soul mate kind) and it bothers me that they are buried in churches across town from on another. Someone should have sprinkled their ashes together over the hillsides of Assisi, if you ask me.

Instead, both of them have become cottage industry in Assisi. While it's not as disgusting as Rick Steve's want you to think, it is still true that two giant cathedrals and about 50 souvenir shops have risen up in town to support the St. Francis and St. Claire truths and mythologies. You can even go see St. Claire, the Musical, if you want, which a woman from Brazil told us was 'inspiring' and performed by members of an Italian arts commune full of beautiful people. Although St. Francis's actual tomb is a simple stone box (seemed kind of confining to me, but that's another story), it is set in yet another gothic style cathedral, complete with frescos of his life, gilded altars, and everything you come to expect in Medieval gothic churches. St. Claire's is more toned down, but they have a life size, 'living' color model of her lying atop her tomb, which is just creepy.

Were it not that St. Francis was so tolerant of human beings, I imagine he would have hated what Assisi has done to him. How ironic that they honor his rejection of worldly things with gigantic monuments and plastic objects and memorabilia.
What the city did manage to preserve, however, is it's own reverent beauty and peacefulness.

If you go there, stay out of the buildings. Sit on the rock walls and look at the valley below. That's where you'll find what you were looking for.