presided at the Holy Mass for the official opening of the Pardon of Assisi The Minister General began his homily by speaking of doors that are locked with visible and invisible bolts" "for which the touch of a hand is enough to open it wide There are three secrets to opening the door of the little church The first is to set out on a journey: "Only when we set out on a journey does something begin to change in us because on a journey we see things differently "a change that comes to us because we do not bring it about on our own" There is someone who wants to open up to us but is asking for the gesture of our availability and openness" The third and final secret that the Minister shared with the pilgrims was that of crossing the threshold of the open door and entering a new home: "Looking for the threshold is another powerful symbol And he said that the Portiuncula is "a sign of Mary's womb that accompanies us to rediscover the tenderness and mercy of the Father We can enter this house and finally feel at home" Massimo concluded his homily by wishing "a happy Pardon of Assisi to all especially to those who are afraid to see this door open and do not believe that it is possible for them" the procession "Opening of the Pardon" took place with the recitation of the Creed and the intentions of the Holy Father and invited the pilgrims to pray a Hail Mary for the Christians living in the Holy Land: Israel from 12 noon on 1 August to midnight on 2 August the Plenary Indulgence is granted at the Portiuncula and extended to all parish churches and to all Franciscan churches throughout the world The chapel was once the place where the saint composed an ode to “Sister Death” before passing away.St He is the patron saint of Italy—as well as animals merchants and ecology—where his holiday is celebrated on October 4 as he passed away in the night between Saturday and Sunday making Sunday the celebratory day of choice thousands of believers gather for the annual commemoration at the Chapel of the Transit a tiny 13th-century chapel in the right part of the apse of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli which served as an infirmary during Francis’ time after composing the last verse of his masterpiece “The Canticle of the Creatures” — dedicated to sora morte literally “Sister Death” — he asked his brothers to lay him on the bare earthen floor of the room Francis passed away peacefully while singing Psalm 142 (141) The tiny chapel still features the original wooden door from 1226 as well as frescoes honoring the life of St. Francis that were added during the 16th century. That’s also when the current structure of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli was built, enclosing the infirmary and the surrounding church of Porziuncola literally “little portion,” which still stands as the most sacred place for Franciscans It was in fact here that the saint began monastic life founding his order after being inspired by Jesus during a dream about indulgence and forgiveness and before too long there was need for more room Friars started to add several small huts and a refectory an order by Pope Pius V (1566-1572) demanded that the surrounding buildings be taken down in order to build a new church the UNESCO World Heritage Site Santa Maria Degli Angeli which by then had turned into the tiny “Cappella del Transito,” were the only original buildings that were preserved the chapel still hosts some holy relics belonging to Saint Francis part of his robe and the rope belt he used to wear which were donated to the sanctuary by Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) At the center of the chapel we find a beautiful statue of the saint fashioned in white-glazed terra cotta by Renaissance sculptor Andrea della Robbia in 1490 Francis is shown holding a copy of the New Testament and a cross He adopted the New Testament as his rule and looked at the cross as a symbol of the great sacrifice of Christ The wall decorations in the chapel interior representing saints affiliated with the Franciscan order were painted by 16th-century painter Giovanni di Pietro who was a pupil of the Renaissance master Perugino On the exterior part of the chapel we find two frescoes representing the death and the funeral of St which were executed in 1886 by Domenico Bruschi believers take part in the annual commemoration of the death of St which involves a remembrance of “Friar” Jacopa dei Settesoli a noblewoman who became a secular Franciscan and assisted him during his last moments also includes a reading of Francis’ ode to “Sister Death.” Trouble will occur to those who died in sin but blessed will be the ones that will die following your will His powerful message is reflected in the name of the chapel itself: as Francis did not see death as an end but rather as a way to heaven the chapel was named Cappella del Transito Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you Please make a tax-deductible donation today Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting Catholic news Pope Francis will travel to the Italian town of Assisi on Friday on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor during which Pope Francis will share moments of listening and prayer with about 500 people from all over Europe Arrival of the Holy Father in Assisi at 9:00 a.m who will greet him in the courtyard of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Holy Mary of the Angels) who will form a symbolic "embrace" to welcome him Some of the poor will also symbolically hand over to Pope Francis the pilgrim's cloak and staff indicating that all have come as pilgrims to the places of St Francis two Italians)           Moment of pause to offer refreshments to the poor Distribution of the Holy Father's gift to the poor The Pope returns to the Vatican by helicopter while the poor will be hosted for lunch by the Bishop of Assisi Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here In a recent interview conducted by Valentina Alazraki Pope Francis revealed his decision to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore diverging from the tradition of most of his predecessors who are interred in the Vatican Grottoes or St The latest pope buried in these traditional sites was Pope Benedict XVI Since the end of the Council of Trent in 1563 30 out of the 266 popes are not buried in Rome Pope Francis' choice to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore marks a significant departure from the conventional burial places of popes in recent history This article was originally published on ACI Stampa.  Accredited at the Press Office of the Holy See he followed the conclaves of 2005 and 2013 together with his colleague Andrea Gagliarducci Full Screen1 / 13Previous photoNext photoPope Francis attends a meeting of listening and prayer inside the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi Pope Francis met a group of 500 poor people from different parts of Europe ahead of the fifth World Day of the Poor on Sunday (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)Pope Francis uses the pilgrim's walking stick he symbolically received upon his arrival to preside a meeting of listening and prayer in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)Pope Francis attends a meeting of listening and prayer inside the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)Pope Francis uses use the pilgrim's walking stick he symbolically received upon his arrival to preside a meeting of listening and prayer in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)Pope Francis caresses a child as he arrives to preside a meeting of listening and prayer in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)Pope Francis arrives to preside a meeting of listening and prayer in Assisi (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)Faithful await the arrival of Pope Francis to a meeting of listening and prayer in Assisi Pope Francis will meet a group of 500 poor people from different parts of Europe a day before the fifth World Day of the Poor (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)Pope Francis listens to Qadery Abdul Razaq a refugee from Afghanistan who lives in Italy as he arrives to preside a meeting of listening and prayer in Assisi (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)Riccardo De Luca Pope Francis attends a meeting of listening and prayer inside the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi ASSISI – Pope Francis traveled to the hilltop town of his namesake for the fifth time in his pontificate on Friday to honor the poorest and most marginal and urge that they be welcomed and cared for by the church In one of his first outings in Italy since the coronavirus pandemic Francis took his time greeting schoolchildren and some of the 500 people brought by Catholic charity groups to Assisi to join Francis in marking the Catholic Church's world day of the poor A refugee gave Francis a pilgrim’s walking stick and cloak outside the Basilica of St birthplace of the Franciscan order of the pope’s namesake Francis greeted disabled children in the basilica and prayed in the chapel before hearing testimony from a handful of people who offered heartwrenching testimony about their lives on the margins One former Spanish drug dealer recounted how he turned his life around after a priest smiled on him and offered him shelter A Romanian woman wept as she told Francis that she suffers such chronic pain that she cannot work Two Afghans recounted how they recently fled to Italy after the Taliban takeover of their country Those offering their testimony choked up and wept openly as they spoke to the pope who thanked them for their courage in telling their stories and “opening their hearts to give us their richness and heal our wounded hearts.” “The presence of the poor is often seen as an annoyance and is put up with," Francis said from the altar “Sometimes we hear it said that those responsible for poverty are the poor So as not to carry out a serious examination of conscience on one’s own actions on the injustice of certain laws and economic measures on the hypocrisy of those who want to enrich themselves excessively blame is laid at the feet of those who are weakest." He said the faithful could learn from the example of Francis and those who offer shelter to the poor and marginalized the door of our house and the door of our heart and to allow the person who knocks to come in," Francis said Francis also gave a shout-out to the retired archbishop of Lyon Barbarin stepped down after a French court convicted him of covering up for a pedophile priest only to have his sentence overturned on appeal Francis said Barbarin knew well what it was like to “suffer with dignity the experience of poverty — of abandonment “He defended himself with silence and prayer," Francis said as a clearly moved Barbarin listened from the pews “Thank you Cardinal Barbarin for your witness that edifies the church." The poor were being hosted for a luncheon offered by the archbishop of Assisi while the pope was due to return home to the Vatican by midday The Argentine Jesuit is the first-ever pope to have named himself after the 13th century friar dissolute lifestyle to embrace a life of poverty and simplicity The pope said in the first days of his pontificate that he chose to name himself after St Francis was last in Assisi in October 2020 when he signed his latest encyclical “Brothers All" on the tomb of St Francis on the anniversary of the saint's death rewritten or redistributed without permission TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Closed Captioning / Audio Description Contact Us Careers at WPLG Terms of Use Privacy Policy Public File FCC Applications EEO Report Do Not Sell My Info 1.0 Host Exhibit Copyright © 2025 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC. The feast of Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula and its associated indulgence is a way to focus on the importance of Mary and the Franciscan tradition in the Church 2 feast is found in the Franciscan tradition and marks the dedication of the parish church in Assisi or “little portion,” which is one of those that St Francis rebuilt in obedience to Christ’s command to “rebuild my church.” “The Portiuncula is at the heart of the Franciscan journey,” Father David Convertino the executive director of the Franciscan Missionary Union in New York City He lived near it with the early followers … and he loved the Portiuncula as it was part of his devotion to Our Lady.” Pope Honorius III granted a plenary indulgence to those who visit the chapel Later popes expanded the indulgence to include any basilica An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins that have already been forgiven A plenary indulgence requires that the individual be in the state of grace by the completion of the acts and have complete detachment from sin The person must also sacramentally confess his or her sins and receive Communion up to about 20 days before or after the indulgenced act Anyone who visits a Catholic church with the intention of honoring Our Lady of the Angels and recites the Creed and prays for the pope’s intentions may receive a plenary indulgence on Aug “Any kind of a prayer form that helps people come closer to God is obviously a good prayer form and certainly an indulgence is one way,” Convertino said the meaning of the Portiuncula and the Franciscan tradition how it’s situated in the greater idea of the Church.” The Portiuncula was built in honor of Our Lady of the Angels in the fourth century Francis’ time it had fallen into disrepair which was then located just outside of Assisi became the “motherhouse” of the Franciscan orders “Although Francis realized that the kingdom of heaven is found in every dwelling on earth … he had learned nevertheless that the church of St Mary at Portiuncula was filled with more abundant grace and visited more frequently by heavenly spirits,” says the “Life of St Francis” written by Friar Thomas of Celano and read today by Franciscans If you are driven out by one door return by the other for this is truly a holy place and God’s dwelling.’” Convertino added that the Portiuncula “was the place he chose to lie next to on his deathbed and at that time of course you could have looked up to the city of Assisi is now located inside a large basilica that was built around it to enclose and protect it “You have this large basilica built over this teeny tiny little chapel,” Convertino reflected “If that chapel wasn’t there then the basilica wouldn’t be there the chapel probably wouldn’t be there either the duality of the big church and the little church is a reflection of the relationship between the worldwide Catholic Church and the smaller communities that constitute it ‘We’re the ones at the heart of the Church the “experience” of the Portiuncula is “compounded more and more” and added: “It’s such a magnificent place Convertino also discussed the fresco now painted around the entrance of the Portiuncula Francis together with some of his followers receiving the indulgence from Christ and Our Lady “The idea behind the story is that Francis is asking Jesus for a Portiuncula indulgence Founded in continued response to Pope John Paul II’s call for a “New Evangelization,” the Catholic News Agency (CNA) has been one of the fastest growing Catholic news providers to the English speaking world beautiful and inspiring resource to help you get more out of Lent than ever before Brunelleschi’s Rotunda opens to the public which will become home to the Museo de’ Medici thanks to an agreement between ANMIG the National Association of War Invalids and Mutilated under the auspices of the City of Florence The centrally planned Renaissance building will house the new Medici history museum exhibit.The rotunda was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1434 but work only lasted until 1437 when the Florentines diverted resources to the war against Lucca The octagonal building had originated as part of the adjacent monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli at the time frequented by Cosimo the Elder who made it the most important humanist library of the Renaissance Cosimo I would have wanted it to be the seat of the Accademia delle Arti e del Disegno entrusting its completion to Michelangelo and Vasari the “castellaccio,” as the Florentines called it housed the workshop of sculptor Enrico Pazzi who created the monument to Dante now in Santa Croce but it was not until 1937 that Rodolfo Sabatini was able to complete the work with a huge dome in the rationalist style to make it the meeting hall of the ANMIG In more recent times many students have known the rotunda as the Language Center of the University of Florence the curtain fell on a symbol of Florence and the entire surrounding area the historic premises of the Casa del Mutilato have been the subject of guided tours by our association,” notes the president of the Florence Section Anmig “with the collaboration with the Museo de’ Medici we intend to persevere on the road to the enhancement of the complex and the entire area.” “Brunelleschi designed the rotunda on the model of the Roman pantheon here every visitor can learn about the history of the women and men who made Florence and Tuscany immortal,” says Samuele Lastrucci “The happy collaboration established with the members of ANMIG will give us the opportunity to open the rotunda to the public for the first time and thanks to the agreement with the City Council admission will be free for all residents.” “A smart operation that will allow Florence not to lose the museum entirely dedicated to the Medici and to finally reopen Brunelleschi’s Rotunda to the public,” stressed Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Culture Alessia Bettini “Returning an interesting project like Samuele Lastrucci’s to the city means projecting memory to the future preserving such an important piece of history as that of the Medici family and at the same time enhancing a historic building like the Rotunda This museum will be a place where tourists can discover who we are and Florentines relive centuries of glorious history Making the cultural heritage usable and encouraging the protection and enhancement of cultural containers are the primary goals of the city administration.” The inauguration in the presence of institutions and ANMIG leadership is expected in September our General Curia experienced the immense joy of celebrating the 25th anniversary of Fr Saverio Cannistrà’s priestly ordination Our confrères from the international college of the Teresianum and the community of St Teresa joined us for the joyful celebration we were blessed by the visit of his Eminence Anders Arborelius He is the first Swedish bishop since the Reformation and his holiness Pope Francis appointed him Cardinal in Rome on June 28 The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff announced that his Eminence will take possession of the title of Santa Maria degli Angeli on Wednesday Let us join this great event to thank God for the wonderful gift of our dear confrere In his own words: “It must be a gift of God because somehow I met people who showed me the beauty of the faith and also religious life.” As the Church prepares to mark the feast day of Blessed Carlo Acutis  the ‘Shrine of the Renunciation’ Foundation in Assisi has organized a series of events from 8-12 October including the inauguration of a soup kitchen dedicated to his name Blessed Carlo Acutis was raised to the altars in the city of St making him the first Millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church The Italian teenager died of leukemia at the age of 15 in 2006 he was nourished by his devotion to the Eucharist and to the Virgin Mary In several occasions Pope Francis has said that Blessed Carlo Acutis is a model of holiness for young people He again cited his example on Friday as he addressed participants at a three-day symposium organized in the Vatican by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints on "Holiness Today".  His story has captivated the interest of many faithful across the globe Carlos Acácio Gonçalves Ferreira Ofm Rector of the Shrine of the Renunciation of Assisi “It is incredible to see how many families pilgrims from all over the world come here to learn more about Carlo’s life,” the Capuchin priest said “His 'normality' attracts and is an example for many." This normal life of a modern teenager with a passion for football who used his computer skills to encourage people to approach the Eucharist is recounted first-hand in the book “Il segreto di mio figlio “ (“The Secret of Son”) written by his mother Antonia Salzano who herself was re-converted to the Catholic faith by Carlo The book will be presented on Saturday evening as part of the five-day events in Assisi a Eucharistic Adoration on Saturday evening  titled  "My Highway to Heaven" inspired by what Blessed Carlo Acutis used to say referring the the Eucharist a soup kitchen for people in need and pilgrims will be inagurated in the historic center of Assisi The kitchen will operate in synergy with the 'Casa Papa Francesco' shelter in the neighbourhood of the Santa Maria degli Angeli Basilica Also featuring in the programme is a conference on 11 October,  themed ‘Internet: Make the Difference’ (‘Internet: fai tu la differenza’) in which a new app of the Shrine of the Renunciation will be launched The five-day celebration will close on Wednesday evening with a Mass presided over by the Bishop of Assisi Domenico Sorrentino and a concert  All the events can be followed on-line on the website and social media of the del Shrine of the Renunciation and of the diocese Blessed Carlo Acutis showed a great love of the poor — a devotion followed him over the course of his short life all the way to his place of burial in Assisi is hosting events to celebrate the second anniversary of Acutis’s beautification One of the special events will be the opening of a soup kitchen dedicated to his memory.  According to Vatican News, the soup kitchen will open in the center of the city and “operate in synergy with the 'Casa Papa Francesco' shelter in the neighbourhood of the Santa Maria degli Angeli Basilica.”  It is a fitting way to honor Blessed Carlo, whose mother has said he served the poor from a young age. As reported in CNA, his mother remembers him buying sleeping bags for the homeless and bring them hot drinks as well as giving up extra clothing items of his own to those who had less and sharing his faith online volunteered his time at a soup kitchen in Milan that is run by the Capuchins and Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity Francis experienced the message of Christ from his experience at San Damiano the crucified man ordered him to repair his house of Jesus that was falling into ruin-a message that was also manifested in the body with the limpression of the last seal The exhibition has developed precisely around the theme of the union between St with a path aimed at investigating iconographically and stylistically the evolution of Franciscan figurative representations through a selection of works of art present in the territory Is it therefore possible to learn about St Francis through the works of art in the territory The following is an itinerary with the selection proposed by curators Proietti Bocchini and Brufani the selection is also intended to be a “tool for reflection on the values that Francis with his life transmitted to posterity.” The Crucifix preserved at the basilica of St The wooden exemplar features Romanesque liconography of Christus triumphans mourners in the side panels and busts of saints in the suppedaneum The work of an anonymous master from the mid-12th century the panel celebrates Christ’s triumph over death as shown by the Savior’s open eyes and indolent face together with the decoration of the cymatium where He is reproduced as He ascends to heaven toward the outstretched hand of the Father ready to receive Him some angels hold a cross almost like a royal scepter and banner of victory while at the bottom stands the phrase: IHS NAZARE REX IUDEORU (Jesus Nazarene King of the Jews) The stupendous panel in the Museum of the Treasure of the Franciscan Basilica is a masterpiece of thirteenth-century painting a work whose richness of invention and pictorial quality is so high that it was once attributed to Giunta Pisano an attribution now ruled out in favor of an anonymous person conventionally identified as the “Master of the Treasure of St the work possesses new features that highlight the artist’s great talent such as the attention to the architectural backgrounds with wings inspired by the reality of the places in Assisi and the expressive rendering of the characters Museum of the Treasury of the Basilica of St gold and stained glass is considered the oldest image of St In the center is the saint dressed in the habit of humility standing while holding the Crucifix with his right hand and an open book with his left; evident are the signs of the miracle of the stigmata including the wound in his side that bleeds emerging from the torn garment at one side is said by tradition to have been made from the wooden board that Francis used as a bed and over which he was placed after his death The fresco (1285-1288) is located in the right transept of the Lower Basilica of St Francis and is considered one of Cimabue’s greatest masterpieces In the center is the Virgin and Child in Majesty surrounded by angels and flanked by one of the earliest depictions by the poverello dAssisi here a witness and conduit for the faithful of the sacred representation He has a youthful appearance with a thick beard and cleric; his gaze is fixed toward the faithful to whom he clearly shows the signs of the stigmata lies the great novelty introduced by Cimabue who lays the foundations for the figurative revolution of the masters at the end of the century in a clear break with the Byzantine style in vogue until then Francis Receives the Stigmata on La Verna is the nineteenth of twenty-eight stories from the life of St Francis painted along the nave of the Upper Basilica of St attributed to Giotto and inspired by the Legenda Maior by St This is the last scene of the saint’s earthly life in which he is depicted as if he were an ancient hero statuesquely immobile amidst the architecture of nature waiting to receive the sacred stigmata from the seraphim Christ The fresco presents all the characteristic elements of the master’s painting such as the use of chiaroscuro perspective and a solid compositional structure The result is extremely balanced and natural with Francis no longer depicted as a solitary ascetic That of the Sienese painter is a fresco belonging to the cycle of stories about the Passion of Christ painted in the left arm of the transept of the Lower Basilica of St Pietro Lorenzetti depicts Christ the seraphim attached to the cross imprinting the stigmata in the poor man’s body by means of gusts issuing from his wounds kneeling on the rocky promontory of La Verna almost overwhelmed by the fortitude of that prodigy The scene was intentionally placed by the artist immediately after the sequence of Christological images in order to establish a parallel between the life of the Savior and that of his most devoted follower who first succeeded in conforming totally in him receiving the stigmata and becoming alter Christus Painted on a commission from the city priors Francis was created by Eusebio da San Giorgio in 1507 as an ornament to the cloister of the sanctuary of San Damiano along with another of his paintings depicting the Annunciation The work shows the artist’s good skills in assimilating the style of the major masters who flourished in Perugia from the point of view of both drawing and color Merged into the Pinacoteca’s collections following the 1860 demanations the oil on canvas by Dono Doni depicts the miracle of the stigmata and comes from the chapel of the Palazzo Comunale The work is marked by a language in which elements of early 16th-century Tuscan and Roman culture coexist organized according to an archaizing and traditionalist scheme It is likely that the artist deliberately adopted this style in order to place himself on the margins of the issues of his own time avoiding all decorative and profane excess thus anticipating the painting of the Counter-Reformation The painting is located inside the Chapel of the Stigmata in the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and is part of a series of paintings made by Giacomo Giorgetti together with Cesare Sermei in the 1630s Within a skillful interplay of perspectives and foreshortening is depicted Saint Francis on the bare rock with his arms outstretched as he receives the sacred stigmata through the intercession of a seraphim while on the other side a group of men react in dismay to the windfall one can detect a clear influence of Lanfranchian models whose presence in Assisi was full of consequences not only for Cesare Sermei but also for younger artists such as Giorgetti himself and Girolamo Martelli the Museo Diocesano “Carlo Maria Martini” in Milan is hosting the exhibition Antonio Campi The Restoration of the Altarpiece of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Milan which aims to present to the public the monumental masterpiece by Antonio Campi (Cremona Catherine Visited in Prison by the Empress Faustina and which has just seen the completion of a major restoration work carried out at Palazzo Creberg by restorer Delfina Fagnani (Sesti Restauri) and financed by the Credito Bergamasco Foundation will be displayed at the Museo Diocesano before being returned to its home the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Milan.The work was executed along with a pendant depicting the martyrdom of the saint to decorate the chapel of the Porzia Landi Gallarati family in Santa Maria degli Angeli: inside the chapel there were also other works such as Gaudenzio Ferrari’s theatrical altarpiece The scene painted by Campi simultaneously depicts two different episodes from Jacopo da Varazze’s Legenda aurea: Empress Faustina’s visit to St The hagiography relates that the young Catherine confronted the emperor Maxentius in an attempt to convert him.Maxentius unable on his own to respond to the saint’s arguments had fifteen philosophers arrive in Alexandria but Catherine succeeded in converting them locked her up in prison where she was miraculously healed by angelic figures thunderstruck by the vision of angels surrounded by supernatural light all the onlookers were converted to Christianity The Cremonese artist’s painting is distinguished by an extraordinary and innovative use of light as Raphael had already suggested in the Liberation of St the introduction of three different lights: the natural one (of the moon) the artificial one (of the lamp and the flashlight) and the supernatural one (of the angels and the saint) The unification of two different episodes (the visit of the empress and the arrival of the angels) favors the luministic effects which allow the slow unraveling of the complex architectural structure cleverly set up also from the perspective point of view induce the eye to continue from the foreground to the distant loggia that can be glimpsed in the background this painting in fact represented an inescapable model for Caravaggio who precisely in 1584 entered the Milanese workshop of Simone Peterzano: “you would not find a composition a light machine from which Caravaggio shows that he drew his proceeds more than from this one by Campi in the Beheading of the Baptist in Malta.” during the five months of work on the work “preliminary scientific investigations were carried out from which very interesting data immediately emerged regarding the painting technique that Antonio Campi used to create this great work: the support fabric with lozenge weave during the long and repeated phases of cleaning the pictorial mantle (the last restoration dates back to a century ago) were directly reflected both in the general recovery of a still strongly sixteenth-century color scheme and in the remarkable modernity of the pictorial renditions of every single and precise detail that Antonio Campi researches and enhances with determined attention and an amused playfulness.” The exhibition can be visited during the opening hours of the Diocesan Museum of Milan: Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays (except holidays), last admission at 5:30 p.m. Tickets: full 8 euros, reduced groups 6 euros, reduced schools and oratories 4 euros. For info: www.museodiocesano.it Saint Catherine Visited in Prison by Empress Faustina (1584; oil on canvas Once you see one of them you will want to see them all it became a non-stop affair of following my car’s GPS from one Botta to the next Many of these objects are very architectural and even chairs tend to look like miniature buildings The 78-year-old Botta invited me to his studio, which he moved a decade ago from Lugano to Mendrisio, his birthplace. The practice occupies a large double-height space on the ground floor of the architect-designed Building Fuoriporta (2011). Facing the town’s petit train station, it also houses a furniture showroom The busy practice is filled with wood and cardboard models and furniture prototypes Current projects include commissions all over the world including now under-construction one million square meter Campus for the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang The following is a condensed version of our conversation that was conducted with the help of Tommaso Botta the architect’s middle son; all three children of Mario Botta – two sons and daughter – are architects and work at their father’s office.   Vladimir Belogolovsky (VB): I like your quote “Minimalist architecture is of interest to me even if I am myself a maximalist.” What do you mean by referring to yourself as a maximalist Mario Botta (MB): The minimalist attitude reduces problems to the minimum. But architecture is an emotional endeavour. So, it needs something more than a bare minimum. In any case, these two concepts are not contradictory to each other. Look at the work of Tadao Ando, for example. His architecture is both minimalist but the minimum doesn’t exclude the maximum.  VB: As a student at the University IUAV in Venice, you worked shortly with Modern masters such as Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn it was Carlo Scarpa who you studied under and had a close contact with it would be impossible to separate one from the others and focus on Scarpa only he had very acute sensibility for materials He was the best to express materials’ sensibilities He was able to reduce a form or shape to its essence and express them in very essential and tangible ways through materials I would go as far as saying that he was the last humanistic architect of the renaissance What other words would you use to describe your work and the kind of architecture that you try to achieve you already mentioned the most important qualities I would make a balloon or build an airplane But a house should take possession of the terrain And what you absolutely must add to this list is the importance of light VB: Your buildings are often dressed in horizontal you see this pattern on the facades of many historical buildings all the time And this pattern is present in the work of Scarpa I wonder if you try to express something meaningful to you personally MB: The reason for these horizontal strips is to declare physical presence of the materials used in the construction and to express their meaning this is something that comes from Scarpa – the idea of expressing the structure behind every composition by emphasising forces and lines Everything is important – the colour It is important to express the nature of every material I never try to minimise or hide a sense of gravity Buildings tell stories – you can see how much work was done such as a layer of a particular material per day VB: What I noticed is that these unique means of expression you introduced from the very beginning once you had a chance to build your first projects There was no long search for your identity MB: That’s true because what I do is not invented from scratch the stripes expressed in how our cathedrals used to be built here in the region And the idea of gravity – putting one layer of material over another layer is an ancient idea I absorbed what was here before me and I incorporated it into my own work VB: I like the consistency of your work and I also like the reliance on fundamentals and basic materials and technology Your projects could be built a long time ago and they could be built in the future There is no immediate reliance on the current times and building industry innovations “You don’t need a Moon-landing technology to make a house.” you would agree that these places offer very high standard of living and the quality of life there can be very satisfactory You ask me whether the latest technology should be a part of architecture but I am inspired by the past more than by anything else biology… But many people forget about our own past VB: This means that when I asked you to name key words that describe your work memory and history should be the absolute priorities for architects as the source of inspiration for new architecture I know many creative people – artists All of them are more interested in the past He graduated from the Cooper Union School of Architecture (1996) and after practicing architecture for 12 years founded the New York-based Curatorial Project It focuses on the curation and design of architectural exhibitions He has interviewed over 400 architects; written 15 books including Conversations with Architects and China Dialogues; curated over 50 exhibitions STIR engages with the curators of the Togo Oman and Qatar pavilions—debuting at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025—on representation the book presents a fictional story depicting algorithms exercising control over humans and how this affects the built environment Tipnis shares how the toolbox democratises the practice of restoration via DIY resources to repair tangible urban heritage made of common building materials The government-funded jackfruit processing unit and community centre employ a participatory approach processing waste into value-added products Exclusive preview for subscribers. Learn More Make your fridays matter. Learn More © Copyright 2019-2025 STIR Design Private Limited Please confirm your email address and we’ll send you a link to reset your password All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices Password must be 8 characters long including one capital letter By creating an account, you acknowledge and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy by STIR Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch Please enter your details and click submit Single account access for STIRworld.com,STIRpad.com and exclusive STIRfri content Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process by Vladimir Belogolovsky | Published on : Jul 01 Directed by Loretta Dalpozzo and Michèle Volontè the film follows the 76-year-old architect as he travels the world to oversee projects and prepares for an exhibition of his work in Locarno “I chose to behave as naturally as possible without thinking too much about the filming process,” he says of the making of the film “I must admit that the result is a true slice of life that shows my daily life made of work Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center in Tel Aviv such as the San Giovanni Battista Church in Mogno and the Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Cultural Center in Tel Aviv and the directors chose to focus on this area of his practice “We knew that it was impossible to enclose all his work in 80-90 minutes but by choosing his sacred buildings as a theme we could narrow down his long career to buildings that are full of meaning but still stretch through decades of his work,” says Dalpozzo The filmmakers still had to choose from Botta’s many designs for houses of worship and decided to showcase a building from each monotheistic religion and the future (projects still on paper),” says Dalpozzo because it is one of his most famous churches and the one who convinced him to explore the subject further was the perfect expedient to show other buildings and Switzerland to film Botta (pictured here) and his buildings “The filming spread over five months; we worked around his schedule We went where he went when it suited our subject.” While some architecture documentaries focus solely on the designs this film shows the day-to-day life of the architect from navigating client concerns to working with his children at his office One fascinating section of the film shows Botta’s process as he designs the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Namyang Viewers travel alongside Botta as he meets with artist Giuliano Vangi in Italy presents Vangi’s designs to the client in Korea and later brings artist and client together in Vangi’s studio—the point when the collaboration truly materializes Get a year of unlimited access for $25 $20 per month In addition to his work at his busy practice, Botta has joined the directors as they tour with the film, and will take part in a Q&A following a screening in New York on October 16. Hundreds in Rome attended the Monday funeral of former Lazio and Inter Milan defender Sinisa Mihajlovic from Serbia The funeral was held at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli as Mihajlovic's wife Arianna Rapaccioni Mihajlovic led the family A video showed Mihajlovic's former teammates at Lazio and Attilio Lombardo helping other mourners to carry the former Serbian player and head coach's coffin into the crowd outside the basilica Mihajlovic won the Italian Serie A title with Lazio in 2000 alongside his compatriot Stankovic and Italian ex-players Mancini and Lombardo Current Lazio forward Ciro Immobile and Italian football legend Francesco Totti were also in attendance He was one of the famed football players of his generation and played for Italian clubs Lazio known to be among the best freekick takers won the Italian Serie A title twice: Once in 2000 with Lazio and again in 2006 with Inter and Montenegro before his retirement from the game in 2006 In view of the Catholic Church’s 5th World Day of the Poor Pope Francis paid a private visit to Assisi on Friday to listen to and pray with poor people from around Europe “May this meeting open all of our hearts to put ourselves at each other’s disposal so make our weakness a strength to help continue on the journey of life to transform our poverty into wealth to be shared Pope Francis made the call Friday morning at a meeting with some 500 poor people from around Europe in Assisi It was a private visit of listening and prayer in view of Sunday’s World Day of the Poor symbols of a pilgrim to the places of St Francis Inside the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Holy Mary of the Angels) Francis understood his vocation and renounced the world in order to live in poverty among the poor Pope Francis listened to the testimony of 6 poor people from Italy can become a strength that will make the world better.” He expressed pain that the presence of the poor is often seen as an annoyance and sometimes are blamed for poverty in the world we should make a serious examination of conscience on our actions The Holy Father said it is time that the poor are given back their voice that eyes be opened to see the state of inequality in which many families live that sleeves to be rolled up so dignity can be restored by creating jobs “It is time to be scandalized once again before the reality of children who are starving tossed about in the water in the aftermath of a shipwreck innocent victims of every sort of violence It is time that violence against women ends that they be respected and not treated like bargaining chips It is time that the circle of indifference be broken so as to discover once again the beauty of encounter and dialogue.” Unless we men and women learn to meet each other Pope Francis said he was impressed by the tremendous sense of hope of the poor which gives way to holding out against every odd the lack of so many necessary means,” he said “has not stopped you from seeing with eyes filled with gratitude the little things that have enabled you to hold out.” The strength to keep going against the current despite every odd We do not face difficulties alone but together without giving in to the temptation to give up and fall into loneliness or sadness Pope Francis drew attention to the simplicity of heart and life of St Francis and Brother Masseo on a journey to go to France had to beg for food Despite the poverty and lack of necessity all around hard bread they collected a great treasure “Knowing how to be content with the little we have and to share it with others,” the Pope said the tiny chapel inside the basilica that St Francis restored after Jesus had asked him to “repair his house” “the Lord was asking him to give his life to renew not the church made of stone of men and women who are the living stones of the Church” The Pope said the poor were gathered in the church to ask the Lord to hear their cry of help The first marginalization they suffer from is a spiritual one Many people find time to help the poor and bring them food and hot beverages is that these volunteers stop a bit and speak with the people “The Portiuncula reminds us of the Lord’s company he always accompanies us in every moment of our lives.” Another lesson of the Portiuncula is that it was where St and many poor people as brothers and sisters the Pope said is the most evangelical expression we are called to make our own It means opening the door of our house and heart to allow the person who knocks to come in that he or she might feel welcome and not ashamed A true sense of fraternity leads to a sincere experience of hospitality and community adding its absence leads to egoism and breeds fear he recalled a saying of Mother Teresa: “what is the best welcome “A smile as an expression of sympathy and tenderness,” the Pope said “does me and the other person good.”  Later the smile involves you because you cannot distance yourself from the one you smiled at Pope Francis thanked God for the World Day of the Poor came from a boy called Etienne in a sacristy and which he took as an inspiration from the Holy Spirit and instituted the annual observance Among those present was also French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin He stepped down as Archbishop of Lyon stepped down after a court in 2019 convicted him for covering up a priest’s child sex abuse in his diocese The Pope thanked Cardinal Barbarin his witness and he defended himself with silence and prayer,” the Pope said With thanks to Vatican News and Robin Gomes about . contact . advertising . support Philadelphia is in for a musical treat: HILDEGARD VON BINGEN: BAMBINA MISTICA (the mystical child), an Italian cantata, with music by Italian composer Mariano Garau and Hildegard von Bingen; a libretto by Philadelphia’s Karen Lauria Saillant, director of International Opera Theater based on original writings of Hildegard; and presented by ten Philadelphia sopranos The American premiere takes place November 8 at 3 pm at Our Lady of Angels Chapel at the convent of The Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi in Philadelphia Admission is free; contact (610) 459-4125. The cantata presents the sensitivity and courage of a young girl named Hildegard who would grow up to become a world famous Benedictine abbess at Bingen and a polymath who is considered to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany Given the overall misogyny and repression of women during the Middle Ages Hildegard’s often outspoken criticism of ecclesiastical and political corruption made her some enemies; yet she was a sought after advisor to Kings and Popes—an unprecedented accomplishment for a 12th century woman Given the short life span for most people in the Middle Ages leaving a legacy that still stuns people today This beautiful and thought provoking cantata is now premiering in the US at another sacred place: Our Lady of Angels Chapel in the convent of The Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi of Philadelphia as part of the Global Philadelphia 2015 celebration this Sunday The original singer just flew into Philadelphia to play Hildegard von Bingen as the Abbess which  includes these  performers: Agnese Pazienti (Hildegard as an Adult) Mary Tresvalles (Hildegard’s Teacher Elizabeth McKenzie (Mercy and the Nurse of Hildegard the Child)  Costume design and execution by Micaela Valentini and hair design by Francesca Rivetti of Philadelphia Follicle Studio [Our Lady of Angels Chapel at the convent of The Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi in Philadelphia and website in this browser for the next time I comment This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed Support Phindie operations the big family of the Defence embraced General Claudio Graziano may you walk the highest summits of Heaven We love you".Thus Defence Minister Guido Crosetto in his last touching farewell to General Claudio Graziano The funeral was celebrated today by the Military Ordinary Monseigneur Santo Marciano' at Rome Santa Maria degli Angeli Basilica civilian and military authorities and representatives of the institutions "Remembering Claudio means remembering a wise man A soldier whose life has soon turned into a star the Military Ordinary said in his sermon remembering General Graziano A Mondial tour to Rome and other Italian cities is the prize being offered to the winner of the forthcoming word game series in The Times leaving Malta on December 13 and returning on December 16 The Alitalia flight will depart from Malta at 11.35 a.m A private coach transports the group to a hotel located close to the central station In the late afternoon/ evening an optional excursion will be organised to Tivoli a small provincial town located on the outskirts of Rome A walking city tour of Rome leaves the hotel after breakfast the following day the walk will include Rome's most important landmarks December 16 will see an early morning transfer to the airport to catch the Alitalia flight that leaves at 9.15 a.m. The prize is for one passenger sharing a twin room all meals and personal expenses are excluded The six nine-letter words for the series that ended last Saturday are: Histogram please register for free or log in to your account Francis greeted schoolchildren and some of the 500 people taken by Catholic charity groups to Assisi to mark the Catholic Church’s day of the poor Pope Francis has travelled to the Italian hilltop town of his namesake for the fifth time in his pontificate to honour the poorest and most marginalised and urge that they be welcomed and cared for by the church Francis greeted schoolchildren and some of the 500 people taken by Catholic charity groups to Assisi to join him in marking the Catholic Church’s world day of the poor A refugee gave Francis a pilgrim’s walking stick and cloak outside the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels Pope Francis uses the pilgrim’s walking stick (Riccardo De Luca/AP) The pontiff greeted disabled children in the basilica and prayed in the chapel before hearing from a handful of people who offered heart-wrenching testimony about their lives on the margins One Spanish former drug dealer recounted how he turned his life around after a priest smiled on him and offered him shelter; a Romanian woman wept as she told Francis that she suffers such chronic pain that she cannot work; and two Afghans recounted how they recently fled to Italy after the Taliban takeover of their country Many choked up and wept openly as they spoke to the Pope who thanked them for their courage in telling their stories and “opening their hearts to give us their richness and heal our wounded hearts” “The presence of the poor is often seen as an annoyance and is put up with,” Francis said from the altar Francis greets a child at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Riccardo De Luca/AP) blame is laid at the feet of those who are weakest.” He said the faithful could learn from the example of Francis and those who offer shelter to the poor and marginalised and to allow the person who knocks to come in,” Francis said Francis also gave a mention to the retired archbishop of Lyon He stepped down after a French court convicted him of covering up for a paedophile priest Francis hugs a participant in Assisi (Riccardo De Luca/AP) Francis said Mr Barbarin knew what it was like to “suffer with dignity the experience of poverty — of abandonment “He defended himself with silence and prayer,” the Pope added as a clearly moved Mr Barbarin listened from the pews “Thank you Cardinal Barbarin for your witness that edifies the church.” The Argentine Jesuit is the first pontiff to have named himself after the 13th century friar The Pope said in the first days of his pontificate that he chose to name himself after St Francis because he wanted a “poor church when he signed his latest encyclical “Brothers All” on the tomb of St Francis on the anniversary of the saint’s death Receive today's headlines directly to your inbox every morning and evening Please check your inbox to verify your details To allow the festivities of New Year's in Naples in the square of Plebiscite and along the seafront take place on a regular basis during the day 30 and 31 December 2022 and 1 January 2023 The Municipality of Naples has published the new ordinance on the official website In case of need for vehicular and pedestrian safety reasons established by the Local Police Service the prohibition of vehicular transit in via Let's call them except for residents' vehicles heading to driveways It will be the responsibility of the Local Police Service to establish the activation time of this Executive Ordinance according to the needs of vehicular and pedestrian traffic For information about the new year events organized by the Municipality of Naples it is possible to consult the article dedicated to the four days dedicated to year-end events in Naples we earn a commission from qualifying purchases through ticketing links This commission does not entail any additional price for the user.