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ITALY 127

THE POETRY OF ST. FRANCIS
In order to reach a wide audience, St Francis
preached and wrote in his native tongue,
instead of using the Latin texts of the Church
of Rome. He wrote simple, lyrical hymns that ST. F RA~~n~~~~S ?~ 0
everyone could understand. In the Laudes •Rome
Crea turarum (Praise of the Creatures), a o~plos
milestone in Italian vernacular poetry, he TYRRHENIAN
SEA
praised all of God's creation.
ME DITE RRA NEAN 5£A
A Frescoes by Giotto IONIAN
SEA
The Ecstasy of St. Francis is one of
28 panels that make up Giotto's
Bibli<al Frescoes cycle on the Life of St. Francis
Faded paintings, attributed (c 1290-95) ST. FRANCIS
to Roman artists, line ltie
walls above G iotto' s Life The highly revered St Francis was born in Assisi
~ Frescoes
of St. Francis. in 1182 to a rich family. During his mid-20s, he
by Giotto
decided to reject his family's wealth and live a
life of poverty, chastity, meditation, and prayer,
He looked after the sick and extended his care
to birds and animals. His humble spirituality
soon attracted numerous followers and he
established a religious order, the Friars Minor, in
1209. The order was orally recognized by Pope
Innocent Ill the same year, and in 1223, it was
officially confirmed by Pope Honorius Ill A
Franciscan order of nuns, the Poor Clares, was
founded in 1215. St. Francis died in Assisi in
1226 and was canonized two years later. He
was made the patron saint of Italy in 1939.

THE EARTHQUAKES OF 199 7
In 1997, two strong earthquakes hit Umbria,
leaving 11 people dead and tens of thousands
homeless. A large number of centuries-old
buildings were also badly damaged. The
eastern part of the province was the most
affected, with the basilica in Assi si suffering
the worst structural upheaval In the Upper
Church, the vaults in the two bays collapsed,
shattering ancient frescoes by Ci mabue, and
others attributed to Giotto. However, the great
St Francis cycle (frescoes by Giotto) survived,
as did the stained-glass windows. Painstaking
restoration foil owed, and the church reopened
to the public in November 1999.

GIOTTO'S FRESCOES
The work of the great Tuscan architect and
artist Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337) is often
seen as the inspirational starting point for
Western painting. He broke away from the
ornate, but highly formalized, Byzantine style
to visualize naturalness and human emotions,
~ Cappella di San Martino Entrance to St. Frands, placing three-dimensional figures in con vi nci ng
lower Church by GmabueJo. settings. The S t Francis cycle was painted "al
fresco" by spreading paint onto a thin layer of
KEY DATES damp, freshly laid plaster. Rgmentswere drawn
1228 Octo~r 1997 2000 into the plaster by surface tension and the color
became fixed as the pi aster dried. The pigments
Building work begins An earthquake Restoration work The Basilica of
on the Upper and damages the basilica; begins on the basilica. St. Francis is added reacted with the lime in the plaster to produce
Lower churches of the the vau k collapses and It is completed in to UNESCO's list of strong, rich colors. The technique is not suited
Basilica of St. Franci5. frescoes in the Upper 1\bvember 1999. \N:)rld Heritage Sites.
Church are shattered. to damp climates, but had been used for
centuries in hot, dry Italy.