Assisi Italy

Assisi, Italy is the birthplace of St. Francis, who founded the Francican religious order in the town in 1208. The Basilica complex is composed of two churches built one above the other, the lower one dating from 1228 -1230 and the upper one from 1230 -1253. On September 26, 1997 Assisi was struck by an earthquake. The Basilica was badly damaged part of the vault collapsed, killing four people inside the church, and was closed for two years for restoration.