The basilica of San Francesco in Assisi is the subject of my photograph. The picture was taken in November 2011, during my study abroad trip to Italy.
Although I have very similar shots of the church from our October class field trip to Assisi, this one holds particular significance. What cannot be seen in the 400 by 400 pixel constriction is me, leaning against the wall and reading out of a booklet. What also remains unseen is the photographer: my older sister, Lisa, who stayed with me for a week.
One of the courses I took abroad was poetry, and the entire journey lent itself to pages of it. I’ve always written poetry, but had never been so inspired nor so encouraged by another person in my professor. Just a little to the right of the church, I am reading for my sister a poem I wrote about the church and St. Francis. It’s quite difficult for me to share my own poetry, and this picture captures a moment when I felt comfortable to share one with Lisa. I also painted a watercolor based off this image for my sister.The moment and the structure inspire me artistically.
The church, the true subject of the picture, is possibly the most interesting I saw while abroad. Like many churches, it’s multi-level. The crypt is the basement of the building, where St. Francis rests in his tomb. Unlike other churches, there are two chapels stacked, one on top of the other. The older is on the first floor, while the newer was built above it.
The older chapel is very dimly lit and evokes a strange feeling as you observe the masonic architecture and glittering mosaics. In the masonic style, many of the arches are not mathematically calculated, so you get a dose of vertigo at the slight variations in the angles and tilting of the ceiling and beams. Side chapels contain devotions to other saints, and much of the artwork remains unexplained. The upper chapel is Italian gothic, with much more illumination from windows and the color palette. Giotto, a famous Italian painter, decorated the panels along the nave with frescoes, which in great pictorial detail depict the life of St. Francis.
I’m fascinated by St. Francis, not only because of his great faith, but also by the revolutionary quality of his life. At a time in the Catholic Church when much of the clergy was very ostentatious, Francis chose austere poverty in his pursuit of Christ. He is like the Old Testament prophets, who promoted much-needed reform in their religious communities.
The reason for the structure, the structure itself, and the context of the photograph are why St. Francis’ Basilica represents me well.
