A Peaceable City

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The sky was overcast and rain fell intermittently when we visited Assisi. It is a lovely town, constructed of native stone. It is a pilgrimage site, for some reason ... but even without the Basilica of St. Francis, it would still be a beautiful town, though I suspect the presence of the Basilica is what has allowed its medieval buildings and ambience to remain relatively unscathed by modernity. There are no Starbucks franchises in Assisi, although there are pizza parlours.      Left: The bell tower of the basilica of St. Francis.   Above: The lawn in front of the basilica, looking up the hill toward the medieval fortress. Right: A garlanded alleyway Below: The cloisters      Assisi was founded by the Etruscans, and later subsumed by the Romans. The columned building on the central piazza (left & below) is thought to have once been a temple to Minerva. It is presently a church. Beneath the piazza is an archeological museum displaying Roman artifacts which have been discovered here, including the somewhat vernacular sculpture on the right below.               Back   Back to index     © 2010 W. Luther Jett. All rights reserved.