The frescoes of Assisi
Paul Millward visits Assisi and responds to the life of a beloved saint
Perched on the side of a hill, in the depths of the green heart of Italy, lies a remarkable medieval town seemingly untouched by time. Assisi is situated in the beautiful region of Umbria, a land of high hills gently bathed in layers of soft mist. This is a land suffused with mysticism, an otherworldly realm where the veil between heaven and earth can sometimes feel very thin. It is no accident that Umbria has produced more saints than anywhere else in the world. High up in these hills, the ancient echoes of Christian mystics reverberate still.
Assisi is the spiritual heart of Umbria and is one of the best preserved historic sites in the world. I visited this extraordinary old town whilst travelling through Umbria as part of a rail tour of Italy. I had long wanted to come here. My affinity with saint Francis began as a child when I was beguiled by stories about his love of birds and the great empathy he had with all of nature; even so, I was surprised by how spiritual the experience became for me.
Saint Francis
Born in Assisi in 1181/2, Francis is perhaps the most beloved of all the saints. He is admired by both Catholics and non-Catholics and could almost be viewed as a prototype Quaker. Leading a simple life, dedicated to peace and with a relentless concern for the disadvantaged, he possessed many of the characteristics later embodied by the early Quakers. And if Quakerism is about trying to live as Christ lived every single day – rather than following some dogma or creed – then Quakers will find much to inspire them in the life of saint Francis.
He was led entirely by the spirit, which he constantly sought, often retreating to isolated places to spend long periods in prayer. With his gentle and humble demeanour reflecting a heart swelling with the joy of God, he was the personification of the phrase coined by George Fox: ‘Walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone.’
The Basilica
Francis was so special that his great goodness was recognised in his lifetime and he was canonised in 1228, the year of his death. Just two years later, work began in Assisi on the building of the Basilica Papale di San Francesco, the magnificent cathedral dedicated to him, which is perfectly positioned on a green slope overlooking miles of open countryside.
The Basilica is so beautifully situated that my heart lifted when I first saw it, but it was only when I stepped inside the church that I discovered its most endearing treasures. These lay in the form of the beautiful frescoes that cover its walls where some of the greatest artists of the age, including Giotto and Cimabue, have left their influence.
The frescoes
The walls of the transept are covered in a cycle of frescoes by Cimabue, including a powerful crucifixion, while the frescoes in the crossing include beautiful portraits of the ‘Madonna and Child’ painted by Lorenzetti. But it was the series of frescoes in the nave, portraying scenes from the life of saint Francis, which so captivated my imagination. The simple beauty of these paintings moved and humbled me immensely. They are amongst the most precious works of art in the world.
Until recently, these celebrated frescoes were believed to have been painted by Giotto, the father of Western art. Giotto was one of the first artists to depict realistic human beings with recognisable emotions, and his art heralded the birth of the Renaissance. However, many art scholars now believe these frescoes of saint Francis were actually painted by a mysterious genius referred to as the Maestro di San Francesco. But whoever the artist really is, they have left for posterity an artistic record of the life of saint Francis which is unparalleled.
The gentle simplicity with which the frescoes have been rendered perfectly matches the character of saint Francis himself, a man whose artless humility charmed everyone he met. One of the most celebrated frescoes is ‘The Miracle of the Spring’ where saint Francis makes the spring water flow by praying. From an artistic perspective, this is considered to be one of the best in the series due to its realism, particularly that of the figure of the peasant.
Deeply moving
It was the fresco in which Francis casts off his clothes that I found particularly affecting. The painting depicts Francis giving his clothes and possessions back to his father, a key event in Francis’s life when he rejects worldly values. The fresco poignantly reflects Francis’s newfound devotion to poverty, which is so heartfelt he is willing to appear naked and exposed. His humility beams from the canvas as he offers his hands up to heaven (while the bishop discreetly holds a cloth around his midriff) in a gesture of simple sincerity that deeply moved me. Here I had discovered a truly inspirational scene.
The fresco which gave me the most joy, however, was the ‘Sermon to the Birds’, not only because of its sheer beauty, though it is sadly faded, but also because of my own lifelong love of birds. The fresco depicts his ‘little brethren the birds’, as Francis called them, gathered before him on the ground to listen to his preaching as he bends gently forward to speak to them. Francis communed with all the creatures of nature and loved them all. It was obvious to Francis that if everything came from one father, God, then everything in creation, whether it be a tree, an animal or a human being, was part of the same brotherhood.
After I left the Basilica, I climbed up to the Rocca Maggiore, the old fortress at the top of the town, and sat there quietly trying to process all I had seen. The views of the adjacent hills and valleys, including Assisi itself, were incredible. A vision slowly took shape in my mind of saint Francis and his followers walking down the green bank towards Assisi as they must have done all those centuries ago. I looked up into the sky above only to spot a falcon circling just above me and something touched me. I was suddenly filled with overwhelming bliss. As the falcon floated above me, it was as if I was receiving some sort of blessing. I sat there in rapture for some time.
Such experiences are mysterious, but that day I cannot help but feel I was touched by the spirit of saint Francis. Assisi… one of the more remarkable places on the planet.
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