Two years after his death (1226), the construction of the Basilica began, using the pink stone from Mount Subasio and structuring its body over two overlapping floors.
The Lower Basilica is in Lombard Romanesque style, with a single nave, ribbed vaults, a large transept, and splendid frescoes signed by Giotto, Cimabue and students. Beneath the central altar, in a small crypt, lie the remains of the Saint; the room housing the relics and the Treasure Museum, with rare illuminated manuscripts, paintings, and other valuables, can also be visited.
The Upper Basilica, on the other hand, showcases Gothic lines, and its construction allowed a clear definition of the function of the two places of worship: intended for pilgrims and the veneration of the Saint’s relics, the Lower Basilica; meant for large gatherings and official meetings, even with the Pope, the Upper Basilica, which houses frescoes by Cimabue and the extensive pictorial cycle “Stories of Saint Francis” by Giotto: 28 scenes featuring remarkable perspective depth in landscapes and human figures.
The 1997 earthquake seriously damaged the Upper Basilica, especially in the transept area, causing its closure for over two years. Assisi boasts a large number of churches, including the Saint Clare, in Italian Gothic style, consecrated in 1265 and similar in form to the Franciscan Upper Basilica.
