Assisi - Church and Convent of San Damiano

April 24, 2014

When we woke up we went and had our last breakfast at the hotel before we checked out. We met a lovely couple from Ann Arbor that were traveling around Italy with two of their daughters. This was their 4th time traveling to Assisi. The father was an engineer for Domino's Pizza and works in the same office building as friends of ours, their children even went to the same grade school as my friends. Its such a small Catholic world! 

We will miss our bedroom views!!

Goodbye, Assisi!

We decided to hit one more site on our way out of Assisi that we thought we could walk to but ended up being too far. We stopped at the Church and Convent of San Damiano. 

Statue of St. Francis

This is where the original San Damiano cross was located when it spoke to St. Francis in 1205, and where St. Clare died in 1253. This was once originally a small Benedictine priory that was documented since 1030. In 1205, the oratory was falling into ruins and thats when St. Francis was praying to the crucifix and it came to life telling Francis, "Rebuild my church." Francis took the command literally at first, reconstructing the little church with his own hands. The church later became a favorite retreat for Francis and his followers and it was here that he wrote the first draft of his celebrated Canticle of the Creatures. 

The walk up to the Church of San Damiano was peaceful and lined with olive trees

A little outdoor shrine area where you can light candles

Statue of St. Clare

The original church covered in 14th century frescos. The painted crucifix is a copy of
the original that spoke to St Francis, the original now hangs in the Basilica of St. Clare.

This was the choir area for the Poor Clares

This is a chapel upstairs that was built in the early 1500's. There are many frescos on the
wall of St. Clare with her nuns. 

Looking down on the Cloisters

This is the old dormitory which is just a large empty room with a view over the cloisters.
In the corner is where St. Clare died.

St. Clare died here in 1253

The Refectory that still has the old tables and benches. St. Clare used
to sit where the flowers are on the table. 

Our next destination is Sorrento which is a little south of Naples. This was about a 5 hour drive and lots and lots of tolls. I don't even want to know how much money we spent it tolls. It was crazy!