Assisi

ASSISI Asisium for the Romans, Ascesi in the Middle Ages is part of Central Umbria: it borders with Perugia, Gualdo Tadino, Nocera, Foligno, Spello, Bettona, Bastia Umbra, is lapped by Chiascio and Topino rivers; the municipality has an area of 18,000 hectares, has 25,000 inhabitants, of which about 6000 inside the walls urbiche. It's 'built on the western spurs of the majestic Subasio mount[1290 m. above sea level, bordered to the north by a deep gorge carved by the Tesco river, and south by the beautiful Umbrian plains.

Which are its origins? In prehistoric times was a village of one of the oldest Italic peoples, the Umbro one, who lived under the so-called civilization Villanovian. By that time few findings have come down to us: simple terracotta funerary urns, pottery, arrows and silica bronze. Then underwent the beneficent influence of higher civilization of the Etruscans, after they occupied the Etruria [today's Tuscany] and extended their domination until the right side of the Tevere river, had founded the nearby powerful Lucumone of Perugia.

This is the historical reality, even if a legend, the rest shared by many other cities in search of noble origins, founded by Trojab Prince wants called ASIO [where the name of SUB ASIO that means: under power of Asio]. After the Sentino battle of [295 BC], which marked the final defeat of the Etruscans and the Umbrian unite against Rome, Assisi came under Roman domination and was erected to "Municipium" with the duty to provide soldiers with the legions, but the enjoyment of civil and economic rights of Roman citizens. Its flourishing economic situation and efficiency of its autonomous civil laws are witnessed by the Forum [in the current Town Square), from the Temple of Minerva and the ruins of an amphitheater and from spas. The cristianesimo will spread rapidly and had its martyr in the Bishop Rufino, who preach the Gospel in the first half of the century III. After the fall of Roman Empire, also Assisi suffered violence of the barbarian invasions and was partially destroyed by the Goths in Totila 505. After a brief submission to East Roman Empire, went to the nearby Longobardi Duchy of Spoleto.

During XI century, Assisi will pose the vanguard of the mouvement against feudalism for the conquest of communal freedom: it is famous, in this regard, the municipal notice which granted the slaves to be freed of the flesh, that fleeing from the domain the feudal lord, were refugees inside their walls. In the twelfth century, Assisi was fiercely Ghibelline and hosted an imperial garrison, which however was driven by a popular uprising following the bullying of the Duke of Urslingen Corrado, lieutenant of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa [1198]. In the thirteenth and fourteenth lot with the Guelph Perugia: in one of the many battles in 1202, Collestrada, the perugini, did prisoner the young Francis. In these two centuries, while many disputes between external and internal, Assisi built its magnificent churches, the stringent public buildings, towers and walls, calling the architects most famous and most prestigious painters.

He was wise in administering public affairs, was enriched rich in lucrative trade, regulation powerful corporations in the arts and crafts. With the awful lot of Piccinino, fierce venture captain , began the rapid decline of Assisi. After bitter and implacable faction struggles between the families of Nepis and Fiumi, the City to the begin of ‘500 became part of the temporal domain of the Church.

With Popes it finds its peace, but in a dull and weary climate, far from the creative force generated by the municipal freedom. In 1860 with unanimous plebiscite, a culmination of the Italian Risorgimento, which gave generous contribution eminent citizens, Assisi binds the fate of the new Italy.On the occasion of the celebrations of the seventh centenary of the death of S. Francesco [1926-27], Assisi, with the fervor of the Franciscan family and works of renowned writers such as Paul Sabatier, Arnaldo Fortini, Johannes Joergensen, Father G. Abate, puts herself to the attention of the world, religion and culture. Is not without significance that the first city visited by the Popes, after the so-called voluntary captivity that was followed at the end of the State of the Church, was Assisi: October 4 of 1962 Pope John XXIII went on pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Francis, already proclaimed primary patron of Italy by his predecessor Pope Pius XII [18 June 1939]. The words spoken by Pope John XIII in the Basilica of St. Francis will remain indelible in the history of the Franciscan and the City of Assisi: “Oh Assisi holy city, you are famous in the world as the hometown of ‘poverello’, to your Saint, that is all seraphic like ardour. Can you understand this privilege and give to people the show of a Faithfulness to Christian tradition. It can be for you too the reason of true everlasting honor”.