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Upper Church: The Apse |
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| The frescoes in the
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tell the story of the Virgin Mary. In the history of the church
she is considered the 'first believer'; she was also central to the
faith of St. Francis. 'He loved with an unspeakable affection the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, foreasmuch as that she had made the Lord of Glory, and that through her we have obtained mercy. In her, after Christ, he put his chief trust, making her his own patron and that of his brethren, and in her honour he fasted most devoutly from the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul until the feast of the Assumption.' (Bonaventure, Life of St Francis, IX 3.) As elsewhere, there are three registers. The top register is concerned with the early life of the Virgin. To the left, beside the windows, is the story of Joachim: to the right is the birth and marriage of the Virgin. The middle register has images of angels; the lower register continues the four scenes from the story of the Virgin, interrupted behind the papal throne with frescoes of two popes, supposed to be Gregory IX and Innocent IV. As usual, the condition is poor. Here are the four scenes. |
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| The Wooden choir stalls are fine examples of late fifteenth century cabinet work, featuring images of saints and angels, and other, more mundane items. Here is a selection. | |||
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