tranquility

Arched piazza
Originally uploaded by ccarlstead

Bright, clean, white, peaceful…that is my overall impression of the town of Assisi. My afternoon there, in the company of two friends from school, had to be the highlight of my trip to Italy. As we were driving through the Tuscany countryside we seemed to suddenly see a mountain come up out of nowhere. Lovely. Perched on the side of the mountain was a small town that seemed to flow out of the mountainside and was harmonious in a way not many cities in Italy are. We were all wishing that that was what we were heading for, but not a one of us was holding our breaths. Only it turns out as we started winding our way up the mountain following the signs to Assisi that we were heading there. Talk about a good omen. The several hours that we spent wandering around the narrow, cobblestone streets of Assisi lived up to our first expectations. It is a town which seemed to me to be a very peaceful place. One of those locations that seems to still reflect the guiding principles of some of its illustrious citizens of the past (both St. Francis and St. Clare came from and worked in Assisi). It seemed to suit all that I know about them both to find that this is indeed a town of peace and renewal. Filled to the brim with churches and basilicas (okay, but what town in Italy isn’t?) it was not only in the buildings that you could sense the holiness of the town. As you walked the streets you got a sense that life is still about the simple things (except for where it caters to the tourists – although even that is in a low key way) – strolling the streets, appreciating the beauty around you and enjoying the sound of church bells tolling through the air. Assisi is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been.