Lolomiina: 31.03.2023
Today was church day, it's all jumbled up in my head.
My sports car took me to Assisi without any problems, a drive of about 1.5 hours. I found a good parking spot and made my way through the city - stairs, steps, uphill climbs!
The churches are truly impressive, but the most interesting one was definitely the Basilica di San Francesco. This is also where the mortal remains of Saint Francis are kept in the crypt, and many relics of his life are preserved here. Monks are everywhere, making sure everything is in order. For example, someone was asked to leave because they had nothing better to do than to make a phone call in this church - 🤦♀️.
I'm not really into holiness, but this place touched me, especially since I discovered one or two lines from his famous prayer early on. It's a good feeling to have been in this place.
But it's a shame that the whole city is a huge consumer frenzy around Francis. Countless little shops offer knick-knacks, everything around the saint is marketed, and that completely ruins the real magic of this beautiful city. You only feel like a tourist who is supposed to be taken for their money. Such a shame!
Then I made my way back home in a cozy way, so that I was in Montepulciano on time for the break and the sunset. Before the break, I visited the local churches - now I'm done with culture. ☺️
Insight of the day: sometimes less is more-