The City of Assisi |
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 La
storia della cittą
Assisi is known throughout the world thanks to its chosen son, St. Francis. However, the city's importance is also tied to other episodes that, over the course of the century, have marked both moments of splendour and war. There are many legends that attribute a noble origin to the city. It later underwent the influence of the Etruscans, as shown by the few articles now remaining. Nevertheless, it was the Romans who gave the city an identity. There are still numerous traces of the municipium known as Asisium: the lovely Temple of Minerva, the remains of several pagan temple, the Forum, the amphitheatre, epigraphs, wells, statues and parts of the city walls. After the fall of the Roman empire, it was assaulted and conquered by the Goths (545), taken over by the Byzantine empire and it then was a subject of the Longobards. It later came under the rule of the Duchy of Spoleto. Towards the year 1000, it began to affirm its own freedom as a commune, under the influence of a religious and culture reawakening that rapidly spread to the rest of Italy. Churches and monasteries were founded and castles were built or fortified. Following the patient drainage work done by the Benedictine monks, the plains were used for cultivation. Anxious to free itself of the oppressive domination of Frederick I, known as "Barbarossa", there was a insurrection of the population that was immediately crushed by the imperial army. The town was then entrusted to the Duchy of Spoleto. St. Francis was born in this period. In 1998, the Duchy of Spoleto handed the city over to Innocent III, who confirmed the privileges of the church for the city through a papal bull. During the following century, the city borders expanded rapidly and the leading city authority was the "podestà" - the chief magistrate. Following imperial and papal rule, the city was subjected to the moods of its noble families and of the "condottieri" or mercenary soldiers. In any event, the struggle for freedom was associated with internal strife, in which two family emerged as leaders: the Nepis ("Parte di Sopra" or the upper part of the city) and the Fiumi family ("Parte de Sotto" or the lower part). The city was sacked during the war between Perugia and Assisi. Added to this were earthquakes, famine and pestilence. Various Signorias ruled the city, including the Signoria of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, of the Montefeltro line, Braccio Fortebraccio and Francesco Sforza. This lasted until the middle of the sixteenth century when, with the conquest of Umbria by Pope Paul III, the city finally regained peace and tranquillity. Assisi is known throughout the world because of its famous people; first of all St. Francis and St. Clare, two truly unique figures. Also worthy of mention are the Latin poet Sextus Propertius, painters Tiberio d'Assisi and Dono Doni. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, important names include writers and historians Antonio Cristofani, Francesco Pennacchi and Arnaldo Fortini. |
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