Inside the church of San Damiano, Assisi, 06/12/2019
The place where I felt most comfortable on my European trip was the church of Saint Damiano(Il Santuario di San Damiano). It was so sad not to have enough time to stay here. A Korean nun from the hostel said that the charm of Assisi is to look around the small churches hidden in various places rather than the famous cathedrals in Assisi. She advised me to be sure to visit the church of St. Damiano on the outskirts of Assisi.
The road from the gate, Porta Nuova to the church is like a quiet and peaceful country one with olive fields spread out and made me cozy while walking. I enjoyed the surrounding scenery. The church of San Damiano is also the most significant place in Francis' personal history. When I arrived, a nun was watering the garden inside the monastery, and the view of the garden from the outsider was peaceful and well ordered. The Franciscan Brotherhood seems to be running a guesthouse here. I wished I could stay here if time allowed.
The first biographer of St. Francis, Tommaso da Celano , in his Vita prima , narrates that in 1205, after wandering in the countryside, St. Francis of Assisi enters the church of San Damiano, in the countryside of Assisi. Praying in front of the crucifix present inside the church, and after having insistently asked for light for his journey, faith and hope, he hears him speak and ask him three times to "repair his house which is in ruins". This event will have a profound impact on the life of the saint who, right here, in the last years of his life, composed the Canticle of creatures. Church of San Damiano
