The upper basilica, an open Gothic church, offers a series of large frescoes (maybe by Giotto--scholars are still debating that one) that narrates St. Francis's story. Because the narration takes place in Assisi, many of the settings will look fairly familiar. Some of the frescoes show cracks and damage that resulted from a violent 1997 earthquake. Given the basilica's size and its seemingly precarious perch on the edge of the hill, it's astounding that the damage wasn't more substantial. But, despite the natural disaster, the frescoes (and the basilica as a whole) remain in good shape.

Descending down in to the lower basilica leads you in to an entirely different environment. The two are perfect opposites: whereas the upper basilica is long and open, the lower is wide and squat. You can again find an abundance of frescoes by Martini, Giotto, and Lorenzetti. The ceiling above the altar bares a series of paintings that I particularly like presenting allegories of the Franciscan vows. My personal favorite represents Francis's vow of poverty. In it, angels watch as Christ presides over the marriage of Francis to a woman in a tattered dress standing in thorns. The allegory is not overly complex, but it perfectly exemplifies the simplicity and joy with which Francis accepted his calling.

The final, lowest level of the basilica is the plainest, but also the most emotionally striking. At the end of a cool, primarily candlelit stone hall is a small collection of kneelers. These kneelers face a section of earth that was not removed when the crypt was constructed. Instead, the ground was left in place, along with what it contained--the bodies of St. Francis and several of his close friends. This section of the basilica is the quietest and the most peaceful. Almost instinctively, visitors lower their voices to a whisper and keep words to a minimum. Even for those who don't necessarily agree with Francis's religious convictions, the meditative atmosphere that his tomb inspires is inarguable.

The basilicas themselves are worth a visit because of the artwork that is present there, but the real reason to visit is Francis himself, and it is impossible to deny the powerful feelings that are felt when standing within 10 feet of the man himself.

Upon arriving, you are grouped into tours. The church is a working church, and Mass occurs frequently. Therefore, you are required to wear a special headset on a tour, which allows your guide to just whisper quietly and allow you to hear clearly. These headphones work very well, though they can become uncomfortable.

Our group was greeted by a monk, Brother John, from Zambia. Before we entered, we were given an introduction about the construction of the basilica. Work was started on it only a few years after Francis' death. He was canonized almost immediately, and work began on the church since it was important to prepare a place to protect the relics, the bones of St. Francis. There was much concern that they might be stolen if not protected, and indeed they were ultimately cased in concrete and remain at the basilica in that state.

There are two churches, the lower one in Romanesque style and the upper in Gothic style. Both are covered with frescos and both are immense. When we entered the lower church, there was a Mass in progress, as I mentioned.

A Cinambue fresco, all that is left from the original decoration of the lower and earlier church, presents a portrait of Francis that is believed to be very much like what he looked like since Cimabue knew Francis during his life. Most of the rest of the frescos in the lower church are by Giotto, which replaced earlier Cimabue frescos. These compare events from the life of Francis to events from the life of Christ, including legends that they were both born in a stable, etc.

After we visited the lower church, we saw a room of relics. There were not many of course, but there was an over and undergarment, the original Franciscan Rule, and a chalice and paten.

Then we came out into a beautiful courtyard, looking out over the Umbrian landscape. It is a place the popes would come for summer retreats and also where they hid when the antipopes were searching for them. Off this courtyard is the gift shop, which we did not visit. We then toured the upper church. This church has a lot of scenes from the life of Francis, plus it has, above them, scenes from the life of Jesus and above those scenes from the Old Testament, drawing all three sources together into one. They were preparing for a musical concert in that church. Evidently it is not much used for Mass, as most of the Masses occur in the lower church, but it is used for events, since they do not have a theatre. We could see the considerable damage to the frescos that resulted from the earthquake in 1997.

You’re in the lower church. Again, the frescoes are beautiful and the low ceiling combined with Sunday morning incense lends an interesting atmosphere. It is built as an "L". . . the chapel as you enter is quiet but it is Sunday and mass is being offered in the church to the left. A steady line goes to the tomb of Saint Francis even as the sacrament of communion is being offered. It’s a bit of a zoo. . . I’m not sure whether I’m in the line for the sacrament or the line for the crypt. . . I reassure my wife that taking communion won’t hurt. Luckily, (I’m Anglican), it’s the line to the crypt.

Saint Francis has been disturbed twice. Originally placed in his tomb in 1230, he was moved in 1818 and again in 1978. The feeling here on a Sunday morning is surreal – the tourists, the devout and the dutiful, all in a swarm, circling the crypt and issuing out the other side of the nave of the lower church. There is no access to the transept or the forward part of the nave of the church. It’s been interesting.

There are some wonderful frescoes in the church, which has a main sanctuary, smaller chapels, a basement, and a courtyard. It is a typical Italian church in many respects, which an elaborate altar and the appropriately solemn air. ~~~~

There is a gift shop in the church which sells all kinds of religious items. You can buy a rosary, for example, and have it blessed by a Franciscan in the church. There is no admission charge.