Day 23 (1) on the Via di Francesco

The lad I was sharing my dormitory with was getting up at 5.00am – so on the first day I didn’t have to be up early I was. At least I had peace and quiet to wake up properly and say my Morning Prayers before a very nice breakfast.

I may not have had mountains to climb today but Assisi is a hill town. The city walls were a 15 minute walk up a steep hill from my hostel and then there was plenty of walking uphill to do from there.

My biggest task of the day was to get my Pilgrim Credential processed and get my Testimonium which ‘proves’ I made a religious pilgrimage.

As the Pilgrim’s Office didn’t open until 10.00 am I decided I would visit the Basilica and the tomb of St Francis.

I think I had very low expectations of this visit. Surprisingly I was very deeply moved. I remained kneeling in prayer for some time and felt a real connection with the Saint. It felt very much the same as when I check-in with Saint Cuthbert when I visit Durham Cathedral. I also felt the weight of my Franciscan vocation, not an oppressive weight but a sense that while very serious it felt so right. All this is difficult to put into words.

I stayed quietly until the volume of people passing through proved too much of a disturbance. I looked at the tombs of his companions around him and felt that he wasn’t on his own. The relics such as one of his habits and a signed piece of writing unexpectedly drew me closer to Francis.

I visited the Gift Shop and actually bought a few things, including a book about the origins and meaning of the Tau Cross. I passed through the Upper Basilica and saw the beautiful frescoes. They didn’t do anything for me, I kept thinking of the modern wall art I had passed as I left Valfbricca yesterday.

I walked back into the city and after a brief look at the Cathedral which was ok went to the Basilica of Saint Clare.

At this stage I wasn’t so interested in St Clare’s tomb – we don’t have the same connection. What I was there for was the cross which spoke to Saint Francis as he began his ministry. This was another moment where I felt a real connection with Francis. Especially since the prayer he prayed before that cross was so important for my pilgrimage. It looked so much more vibrant than the pictures and reproductions I had seen. I felt again the weight of my vocation. I would return here again before I left Assisi.