The story
As you stand here in the wide, sun-drenched Piazza Santa Chiara, take a moment to look at the building before you. Notice the striking horizontal bands of pink and white stone. This is limestone quarried from Mount Subasio, the very mountain that cradles Assisi, and it gives the basilica a soft, almost ethereal glow, especially as the sun begins to set and the stone seems to radiate a warmth of its own.
Dominating the exterior are those massive, elegant flying buttresses on the left side. They weren’t part of the original 13th-century design but were added about a century later to provide much-needed stability to the soaring walls. They look like giant ribs holding the structure in place, framing the building against the breathtaking backdrop of the Umbrian valley that stretches out behind you.
Above the main door, take a look at the rose window. It is a masterpiece of stone lace, featuring two rows of delicate columns and concentric circles that draw your eye toward the heavens. This basilica was built between 1257 and 1265 to honor Clare Offreduccio, the young noblewoman who, inspired by her contemporary Saint Francis, famously fled her wealthy family in the middle of the night to embrace a life of absolute poverty.
Inside, the atmosphere shifts from the bright, open piazza to a space of hushed, meditative shadow. As you walk through the doors, your eyes might take a moment to adjust to the dim, Gothic interior. The walls were once covered in vibrant frescoes, much like the Basilica of Saint Francis, but many were whitewashed in the 17th century, leaving the space with a stark, humble beauty that perhaps better reflects Clare’s own spirit.
One of the most significant treasures is found in the Chapel of the Crucifix, located on the right side of the nave. Here hangs the original San Damiano Cross. This 12th-century Byzantine icon is the very cross that famously spoke to Saint Francis at the beginning of his journey, telling him to go and repair his house.
Before you leave, step down into the crypt, which was built much later, in the mid-19th century. Here, the style changes to a more ornate, Neo-Gothic design. At the heart of the crypt lies the tomb of Saint Clare.
Her remains were discovered in 1850, and today you can see her preserved body, or rather a lifelike effigy, dressed in her simple habit and holding a lily. As you wander back out into the light of the piazza, remember that Clare was the first woman to ever write a set of monastic guidelines for her order. This basilica is more than just a monument of pink stone; it is a testament to a woman who traded a palace for a cell and changed the course of history.
Take one last look at those pink stripes and feel the enduring stillness she left behind.