Piazzetta Ruggero Bonghi, Assisi, Italy Print

The ancient and mountainside-clinging town of Assisi packs in a lot to see within its walls, along its steeply sloping lanes, and around its piazzas and piazzetti. In this spot, you note the lane climbing off to the left. That is Via Monsignor Giuseppe Placido Nicolini . It starts here and climbs a distance before forking into a rise of stairs, or a lane slipping back down hill sporting a new name. The narrow road on the right is Piazza S. Pietro leading to the 10th-century church of the same name. Behind you, this lane passes through the medieval gate Porta San Francesco and on to Perugia. The life in this small plaza comes from those who have either just parked in the lot just outside the wall and Porta San Francisco and who are starting to climb, or those behind you who have departed from the Basilica of San Francesco of Assisi -- the saint's final resting place 300 meters away. The mural of the Madonna and Child has witnessed the parade of pilgrims and tourists for hundreds of years. The Italian sparrows (Italy's national bird) help remind us that Francis passed, and perhaps shared his message, here. There is a lot of detail packed into this painting. While painted in a realistic style, there is some texture to the paint. The painted surface is bound by wood cribbing to produce a deep panel. These four sides are painted black which helps give a visual "pop" to the painting, and produces a finished look that does not require a frame. Hanging hardware is included.