Porziuncola

The Porziuncola is the small chapel preserved beneath the dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli near Assisi. Its modest stone interior contrasts with the much larger church built around it.

Why it matters

Francis restored the chapel and made it a centre of the early fraternity. It is also associated with Clare's reception into religious life and the tradition of the Perdono d'Assisi indulgence.

What to notice

Prete Ilario da Viterbo's altarpiece of 1393 narrates the story of the indulgence in a sequence of scenes. The intimate scale of the chapel and its irregular stone walls remain central to its character, distinct from the surrounding basilica.

Context and history

The chapel had belonged to the Benedictines before Francis and his companions made it their spiritual home. Franciscan tradition connects the indulgence with a vision of Christ and the Virgin in 1216 and its confirmation by Honorius III. Construction of the enclosing basilica began in the sixteenth century, giving monumental protection to the smaller sacred building.