Day Five: Gubbio and Todi

 “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

― Francis of Assisi, the Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi

Once everyone had packed their belongings and we had our breakfast and took a group photo, we left on a journey to Gubbio! Gubbio is located in the Umbrian region of Italy, it is a very ancient city and was once the capital of Umbria.

Once in Gubbio the first stop we made was to the Church of Saint Francis. St Francis was a merchant’s son and when he arrived in Gubbio he denounced his riches and was given a cloak. He decided to give up his possessions and became a very religious man. He is now the St Patron of Ecologists and we were told an old story about a wolf that would terrorize Gubbio. St Francis spoke with the wolf and arranged for the people to feed it and give it offerings. It is actually said that the wolf was not a wolf but a woman who was looking for her children and became a little crazy. They took care of her and eventually buried her in the church.

There is a large fratiminory in Gubbio today because of the influence of St. Francis. First there were only monks who stayed in monasteries and practiced the word of god. Friars were known because they spread the word of god. The structure of the church is gothic but inside it was a mix of modern and olden arches and windows painted by local artists. We discussed the lives of the friars and that there were only three rules the monks had to follow, chastity, poverty, and obedience. We learned that Franciscans are known around the world because they do not leave anyone alone. They help everyone and this is known to be the success of the town. The Franciscans went from about 12 people to over 10,000 followers in 10 years. I love Marche because I love St Francis. His story is so beautiful to me, that a man with wealth gave up everything to follow in the word of God. I bonded greatly with Gubbio and the story of St. Francis.

Once we exited the church and entered the city I noticed how close all of the houses were. This was because the town needed to save money, many of the houses also sported a “porta del morto” or a door of death. This door was used to remove dead bodies from the house so that the soul may leave in peace. The structure of the city gives it the impression of being very tall and big, this is because it was difficult to build on the slopes of the mountains.

The next stop on our tour was the palace in Gubbio originally built in the 14th century. The entrance of the palace itself leads to the “decision” room. Today, the palace is now a museum and has a bell tower that contains a bell that weighs approximately 2000 kilograms. We also learned about the Corsa dei Ceri, also known as the Run of the Candlesticks which is very important in Gubbio. We stopped at the Duomo which provided beautiful views of the Italian countryside.

After our tour, we received some free time for lunch and to walk around the city. I found a small restaurant with 3 of my friends and ordered my first ever calzone. After lunch we sat in the main square and enjoyed the architecture and the sights. After our break we met back on the bus so we could drive to Todi where we would stay for 3 nights.

Before we left for dinner in Todi, we attended a small lecture with Professor Lazzari’s mother, Monica Lazzari. She presented on Saint Clare of Todi, and Dacia Maraini. Dacia Maraini is an Italian author who wrote Chiara d’Assisi. The book that she wrote is a contemporary story that speaks about a modern-day St. Clare and St. Francis. I thought this was an interesting take on how Italian history influences current society. We learned that St. Clare was born in Assisi and lived a life devoted to prayer. She founded The Order of the Poor Ladies, which is now known as The Order of St. Clare. Nuns that join the order must take a vow of silence to devote themselves to prayer. The presentation was powerful and moving as Professor Lazzari’s mother transformed herself into the traditional dress of a St. Clare Nun.

After the wonderful presentation, we left to the restaurant called Pane e Vino. The four course dinner included red wine, risotto, lasagna, red meat with potatoes, and chocolate cake. It was a delicious meal with great people and as the days passed I felt myself growing closer to my friends and the Italian culture.