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ASSISI (anc. Asisium)

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Originally appearing in Volume V02, Page 782 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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See also:

ASSISI (anc. See also:Asisium) , a See also:town and episcopal see of See also:Umbria, See also:Italy, in the See also:province of See also:Perugia, 15 M. E.S.E. by See also:rail from the town of Perugia. Pop. (1901) town, 5338; See also:commune, 17,240. The town occupies a See also:fine position on a See also:mountain (134.5 ft. above See also:sea-level) with a view over the valleys of the See also:Tiber and Topino. It is mainly famous in connexion with St See also:Francis, who was See also:born here in 1182, and returned to See also:die in 1226. The Franciscan monastery and the See also:lower and upper See also:church of St Francis were begun immediately after his See also:canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253, being fine specimens of See also:Gothic See also:architecture. The See also:crypt was added in 1818, when the See also:sarcophagus containing his remains was discovered. The lower church contains frescoes by See also:Cimabue, See also:Giotto and others, the most famous of which are those over the high See also:altar by Giotto, illustrating the vows of the Franciscan See also:order; while the upper church has frescoes representing scenes from the See also:life of St Francis (probably by Giotto and his See also:con-temporaries) on the lower portion of the walls of the See also:nave, and scenes from Old and New Testament See also:history by pupils of Cimabue on the upper. The church of See also:Santa Chiara (St See also:Clare), the foundress of the Poor See also:Clares, with its massive lateral buttresses, fine See also:rose-window, and See also:simple Gothic interior, was begun in 1257, four years after her See also:death. It contains the See also:tomb of the See also:saint and 13th-See also:century frescoes and pictures.

Santa Maria See also:

Maggiore is also a See also:good Gothic church. The See also:cathedral (See also:San Rufino) has a fine See also:facade with three rose-windows of 1140; the interior was modernized in 1572. The town is dominated by the. See also:medieval See also:castle (1655 ft.), built by CardinalAlbornoz (1367) and added to by Popes See also:Pius II. and See also:Paul III. Two See also:miles to the See also:east in a See also:ravine below See also:Monte Subasio is the hermitage delle Carceri (2300 ft.), partly built, partly cut out of the solid See also:rock, given to St Francis by See also:Benedictine monks as a See also:place of retirement. Below the town to the See also:south-See also:west, See also:close to the station, is the large See also:pilgrimage church of Santa Maria degli See also:Angell, begun in 1569 by See also:Pope Pius V., with Vignola as architect; but not completed until 1640. It contains the See also:original See also:oratory of St Francis and the See also:cell in which he died. Adjacent is the See also:garden in which the saint's thornless See also:roses See also:bloom in May. See also:Half a mile outside the town to the south-east is the See also:convent of San Damian, erected by St Francis, of which St Clare was first See also:abbess. In the See also:early See also:middle ages Assisi was subject to the See also:dukes of See also:Spoleto; but in the 11th century it seems to have been See also:independent. It became involved, however, in the disputes of Guelphs and Ghibellines, and was frequently at See also:war with Perugia. It was sacked by Perugia and the papal troops in 1442, and even after that continued to be the See also:prey of factions. The place is now famous as a resort of pilgrims, and is also important for the history of See also:Italian See also:art.

The poet See also:

Metastasio was born here in 1688. See L. See also:Duff-See also:Gordon, Assisi (" Mediaeval Towns " See also:series, See also:London, 1900). For See also:ancient history see Asisium. (T.

End of Article: ASSISI (anc. Asisium)

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