Celebrating the Spirit of Assisi, Siena and Florence: Eastern Mediterranean Odyssey

The Basilica of St Francis

Our Pilgrimage to Saint Francis' Hometown

Saint Francis is one of my spiritual heroes because he loved nature and animals and stood for peace. When planning our trip to Rome I immediately decided it was time to visit his hometown and pay homage to his memory and his legacy.

We arrived by train from Rome at Santa Maria degli Angeli, Assisi's train station, and hopped on the bus that goes up to the hilltown of Assisi. After checking into our Hotel La Rocca, we started our walk down the hill towards the Basilica of St Francis at the bottom of the walled hilltown. The basilica was begin in 1228 A.D., the same year that Francis was granted sainthood.
 

Francis was baptised in 1182 in the Romanesque Cathedral of San Rufino

Ron & Janice at San Rufino's medieval carving of a lion eating a Christian

Ron finds his dream classic Fiat

Sister Janice and Brother Bob at the Church of Santo Stefano

Approaching the Basilica

Inner courtyard and rain-collecting cistern roof (at back)

The plaza in front of the Basilica of St Clare

The front of the Basilica of St Clare

My rainy night walk back to hotel

The next morning I walked to the Basilica of St Francis for a beautiful morning mass

I hope the new pope follows the path of his adopted namesake

The simple Romanesque Church of Santo Stefano

Assisi caters to the senses as well as to the spirit

The entrance to the lower chapel of the Basilica of St Francis

Serendipity in Siena

On day two of our five-day Rome-Florence Loop we took the bus down the hill to Santa Maria degli Angeli and carted our luggage to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Saint Mary of the Angels) where we were to catch the bus to Siena. We had an hour before the bus would arrive so we went into the large church which was built between 1569 and 1679. The church encloses the little 9th century chapel, the Porziuncola, which the young Francis of Assisi rebuilt, where he committed himself to a life of poverty and where he died.

Saint Mary of the Angels Basilica

Our first view of the famous Il Campo of Siena

Torre del Mangia Belltower at Siena's City Hall

Siena's famous Duomo

We enjoyed an evening outdoor dinner at Il Campo under the moon

Fabulous Florence

Because of a national bus strike we ended up taking the local train to Florence from Siena

Walking to our hotel Ron spied another mini-car he liked (no room for luggage Ron!)

Our Hotel Relais Uffizi was a stone's throw from David...

...and from other art on Piazza Signoria

We immediately immersed ourselves in museums...first Palazzo Vecchio

We crossed the Arno and the iconic Ponte Vecchio

While sipping wine we watched the night fall upon the Arno and...

...met Filippo a designer who gave Janice a wardrobe makeover in his shop

We ended the day with pizza on the Piazza Signoria...

...and started a new day with a fantastic Hotel Relais Uffizi breakfast

More incredible art

Florence does have style

Michaelangelo's Dawn and Day in the Medici Chapel

Fantastic angelic Fra Angelico at San Marco

The Duomo: Santa Maria del Fiore

The exquisite Duomo Baptistry

I climbed the Duomo dome...

...for fantastic views

Heading down the Duomo dome...

...to climb Giotto's Belltower next to the Duomo

Views from the Campanile

Looking down from just under the belfry (I was stopped here by the clanging bell)

Piazza Signoria by night

Michaelangelo's last work: A Pieta (his face is Nicodemus')

I snuck this prohibited shot in the Uffizi Gallery

View from the Palazzo Vecchia Belltower

Looking down on Piazza Signoria

We heard a Gregorian Mass at San Mineato al Monte on our last night in Florence

One Last Italian Treasure: Orvieto

Orvieto's ornate Duomo facade (it was cold)

Eve emerging from Adam's rib on the facade of the Duomo

Cherub with the whirling sword evicts Adam and Eve from the Garden

Like Adam and Eve our time in the cultural and spiritual paradise of Italy was ending. One last night in Rome (and a fantastic dinner at Il Condor Restaurant near Termini Station) and we headed to the airport. Due to a cancelled flight we were put up for another night at the Airport Hilton but we finally made it back from an unbelievably rich Eastern Mediterranean Odyssey. I hope you enjoyed tagging along with us!

Enjoy Peace,  Bob Hare