Description of the attraction
The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli is a 16th century church located on a plain at the foot of the hill on which the city of Assisi stands.
The construction of the Mannerist basilica lasted from 1569 to 1679. The building of the new temple included the small church of Porziunculus, which is considered one of the most revered sites of the Franciscan order. According to legend, it was here that Saint Francis of Assisi realized his destiny and retired from the bustle of the world in order to live in poverty among the poor. After the death of Francis in 1226, the monks of his order built several small huts around Porziuncula. In 1230, a small refectory and several more buildings appeared, and over time, small covered galleries and living quarters for the monks were added. Some of these buildings were discovered as a result of excavations carried out from 1967 to 1969 under the foundations of the modern basilica.
Since the number of pilgrims who came to Assisi to venerate the relics of St. Francis steadily grew, the tiny Porziuncula could no longer accommodate everyone. This is how the first projects for the construction of a large temple appeared, which would contain a sacred church. In the middle of the 16th century, all the buildings built around Porciuncula by that time were demolished, with the exception of the Transito chapel, in which Francis died. And in 1569 the construction of the basilica began.
The majestic church, the seventh largest Christian church in the world, was designed by two famous architects - Galeazzo Alessi and Vignola. Construction proceeded slowly, as there was a constant lack of funds that were collected from private donations. It was not until 1667 that the particularly noteworthy dome was completed, which rests on an octagonal drum with eight windows and cornices, and the entire basilica was not finally completed until 1679. Five years later, a bell tower was added to it - according to the project there should have been two, but the second was never erected.
In 1832, as a result of a strong earthquake, the central nave, part of the side chapel and the choir of the basilica collapsed. The dome resisted, but received serious damage in the form of a wide crack. Fortunately, the apse and side chapels have remained intact. The reconstruction of the basilica began in 1836 under the direction of the architect Luigi Poletti and was completed four years later. He remodeled the facade in a neoclassical style, but in 1924-1930 it was restored to its former baroque appearance. Then, in 1930, a gilded statue of Madonna degli Angeli was installed at the top of the facade.
Inside, the basilica consists of a central nave and two side chapels flanked by ten chapels. The Porciunculus Church is located directly under the dome. The interior of the basilica is simple and elegant; it is decorated with several frescoes, which, incidentally, contrasts strongly with the rich decoration of the internal chapels. In the apse, you can see the wooden choirs made by the monks at the end of the 17th century.
On the territory of the basilica, there is a magnificent rose garden, which can be accessed from the sacristy - this is all that remains of the ancient forest in which St. Francis and the monks once lived. It was here that the saint spoke with the turtle-doves, urging them to pray to God together. In the garden on the site of the cell in which Francis rested and prayed, today there is the Chapel of the Roses - it was built in the 13th century and enlarged in the 15th century.
