Les Garrigues in Assisi (Italy), July 2019

Meeting St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi

On Tuesday, July 10, around 3:00 p.m., the GARRIGUES choir arrived at the outskirts of the city of ASSISI, in the beautiful Italian region of UMBRIA, after a 17-hour bus ride. The group was comfortably accommodated at the pleasant Villa Hotel Elda

After a restful night, their first encounter with St. Francis took place on the morning of July 11 at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, where they discovered “the Portiuncula,” this small chapel inside the basilica where St. Francis received his revelation and where St. Clare renounced the world to embrace a religious life.After this deeply spiritual visit, the group heads to the lovely city of PERUGIA, the capital of Umbria, where they can reach the historic center via a welcome “cable car.” It’s worth noting that the city is perched at an altitude of over 490 meters on an acropolis. Everyone will explore at their own pace: the cathedral, several churches, the Palazzo, the medieval FONTANA MAGGIORE fountain, the museum, the city walls... A lovely stroll under the Umbrian sun, in a setting still steeped in spiritual and architectural riches.

To round out the day, the choir will give its first concert in ASSISI, high above the old town, in the P. EVANGELISTA Auditorium, where the group is welcomed by the local choir, CANTORI DI ASSISI.

The next day, July 12, the entire group will set out on a bus tour to explore the villages of Umbria. The first stop will be SPELLO, nestled against Mount Subasio, accessible after climbing a long flight of steps and a gentle ascent. But what a delight to discover its narrow little streets, flower-filled balconies, decorated walls, churches, and basilica... The second stop was TREVI, also perched on a promontory amidst thousands of olive trees. We viewed the village from a distance—it was too difficult to reach with a bulky bus!

A haven of peace and greenery will provide a bucolic picnic stop at FONTI DEL CLITUNO, before continuing on and ascending via endless escalators into the city of SPOLETO, perched on a hill, which holds lovely surprises from three millennia of history—and where St. Francis loved to stay. There, we’ll discover beautiful churches with magnificent paintings and domes. It will also be an opportunity for the choir members to perform a few songs within the fortress that overlooks the city. On the evening of July 12, our choir members gathered once again on the steps of Santa Maria degli Angeli to listen to a concert held there, but it was interrupted by a torrential downpour!

Never mind—on July 13, the choir members and chaperones gathered once more on the heights of Assisi for a comprehensive guided tour of the city, during which they would deepen their understanding of St. Francis, from his birth to his death. They also learned about the life of St. Clare, founder of the Poor Clares, whose life was closely intertwined with that of St. Francis. Poverty, Obedience, and Chastity—the Franciscan precepts—were reflected upon and explored in depth by the Garrigues community…To conclude these beautiful spiritual, religious, Franciscan, and architectural discoveries, Les Garrigues will once again fill the air with their songs during a lovely concert at the Chiesa Nuova in Assisi; under the guidance and watchful supervision of the Franciscan friar who serves as the guardian of the site. To wrap things up, the Assisi choir will host a friendly meal on the church square.

And since we must eventually set out again, on July 14 the Garrigues will hit the road once more—though not without stopping one last time at a basilica near Pisa, SAN PIERO A GRADO, where, once again, a few songs will echo through the vaulted ceiling, perhaps soaring up to the attentive and benevolent ears of St. Francis and St. Clare.