The story
Welcome to the Piazza Santa Chiara. As you stand here, take a moment to look at the facade of the Basilica before you. You’ll notice the striking alternating layers of pink and white stone, quarried right from the slopes of Mount Subasio.
These colors give the church a soft, ethereal glow, especially as the sun begins to set over the Umbrian valley. Notice the massive flying buttresses on the side of the building—those heavy stone arches that seem to brace the church against the hillside. They give the Basilica its iconic, sturdy silhouette, guarding the treasures within.
As you step inside, the air cools and the sounds of the piazza fade. This sacred space was built in the mid-thirteenth century to honor Saint Clare, the devoted follower of Saint Francis and the foundress of the Order of Poor Ladies, known today as the Poor Clares. While the interior is more austere than the grand Basilica of Saint Francis across town, it holds a profound spiritual intimacy.
Walk toward the right side of the nave to the Chapel of San Giorgio. It is here that you will find one of the most significant relics in the Christian world: the original Crucifix of San Damiano. This is not just a painting; it is a twelfth-century Byzantine-style icon that changed the course of history.
In the year 1205, a young, lost Francis of Assisi knelt before this very cross in the crumbling church of San Damiano down the hill. He claimed the image of Christ came to life and spoke to him, saying, "Francis, go and repair my house, which, as you see, is falling into ruin." Francis initially thought the cross meant the physical stones of the chapel, but he soon realized his mission was to rebuild the entire Church through poverty and love.
When Clare and her sisters moved here after her death, they brought this precious cross with them. Look closely at the icon. It doesn't show a Christ in agony, but a Christ standing upright, victorious over death, with eyes wide open, looking out at the world with compassion.
Further into the Basilica, you can descend into the neo-Gothic crypt. There, behind a glass screen, lies the body of Saint Clare herself. For centuries, she was buried deep beneath the high altar to protect her remains, only to be rediscovered in 1850.
As you walk back out into the light of the piazza, look out over the stone railing toward the valley below. You can see the olive groves and the small cluster of buildings that is San Damiano, where Clare lived out her life in radical simplicity. This Basilica stands as a bridge between that humble beginning and the enduring light of her legacy.