Assisi Diary - Day 12 - Pinacoteca Comunale

Off and on rain today, so I headed to one of Assisi's small museums, the Pinacoteca Comunale.  It turned out quite interesting for two reasons.  The first is an amazing collection of frescos in varying stages of wellness (centuries of wars, invasions, earthquakes, etc. do take their toll.)  Here are a few of them.  First is Saint Francis Blessing Assisi, by Sermei, 17th Century.  This portrays one of Francis' final acts in blessing the town of his birth.

Next is an Annunciation, about which I don't have details.

Next is a 14th Century fragment of Saint Stephen.

And a 14th Century image of Saint Francis.

Photos hardly capture these works, but they at least provide a glimpse of some of Assisi's art.
The second exhibit was interesting for a different reason.  This exhibit told the story of what happened in Assisi between September, 1943 and June, 1944 when the town was occupied by Germans, and the townspeople risked their lives providing shelter for about 300 Jews from different parts of Europe.  The nuns and priests of Assisi played a key role in hiding refugees in convents and monasteries.  The Bishop of Assisi personally hid important documents of the Jews.  Local printers forged false documents so effectively that no one was caught while using them.
Perhaps most interesting was the German in charge, Colonel Mueller.  He worked to have Assisi preserved by being designated a "hospital city", thus off limits to Allied bombings.  This designation also limited access for Nazi soldiers and the S.S.  He further restricted access to monasteries and convents, as being under the Holy See.  He was a devout Catholic who attended mass daily at the Basilica of Saint Francis, and walked through town unescorted, suggesting a level of trust with the townspeople.  In the end, many lives and Assisi itself may have been saved by Colonel Mueller's decisions, whether or not he was fully aware of their impact when he made them.
Spent quite a while in the museum; hardly saw anyone.  Went to Mass this evening in the Chapel of Saint Agnes in the Basilica of Saint Clare.
Ciao.