Basilica di Santa Chiara

The Basilica di Santa Chiara rises over the Umbrian hill town of Assisi, dedicated to Clare of Assisi, co-founder of the Franciscan Order of Poor Ladies. Construction began in 1257, just years after Clare's canonization, and the church displays the characteristic Gothic architecture of central Italy: a boldly striped pink-and-white stone facade punctuated by a large rose window. Inside, Clare's remains rest in a crypt beneath the nave, and the church also preserves the Byzantine crucifix of San Damiano — the image that, according to tradition, spoke to Francis of Assisi and set him on his spiritual path. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Assisi, the basilica draws pilgrims and scholars of medieval religious history in equal measure.