Portiuncula
Portiuncula (also Portiuncula ; Latin for "small patch of land"; Italian porziuncola ) is the popular name of the Santa Maria degli Angeli chapel three kilometers below Assisi in Umbria ( central Italy ). The patronage of the chapel is that of the basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli , which was built from 1569 at the behest of Pope Pius V over the portiuncula. The construction of the basilica was not completed until 1679. In German-language literature, in addition to the Latin form portiuncula, the spellings Porziuncola and Portiuncula are also found .
The chapel became famous because the Franciscan orders had their origin there. On October 3, 1226, Francis of Assisi died in this church with his companions. There is a separate library, the Biblioteca della Porziuncola .
history
The chapel was first mentioned in 1045 in a document that is now kept in the archives of the Cathedral of San Rufino in Assisi . Originally it is said to have been built by hermits under Pope Liberius (352–366) who kept relics of the Virgin Mary in it . The legend tells that the chapel passed into the possession of Benedict of Nursia in the year 516 ; it was named Our Lady of the Valley Josaphat or Our Lady of the Angels .
The chapel was later abandoned as a ruin in an oak forest . According to tradition, Francis of Assisi restored it and two other chapels with his own hands after hearing Jesus speak from the cross at San Damiano : “Can't you see that my house is falling into disrepair? [...] restore it! ”Therefore Franz rebuilt the portiuncula and decided to follow Jesus in poverty according to the Gospel according to Matthew . In 1208 the abbot of Monte Subasio , the mountain above Assisi, wanted St. Donate the chapel to Francis on the condition that he make it the center of his community. However, since it would have been against Francis' principles to own property, he insisted on renting the portiuncula only, a basket of fish was agreed as the annual interest rate. Immediately afterwards, Francis had this debt paid in advance and a basket of fish brought to the abbot.
On Palm Sunday of the year 1214, March 18th, St. Clare of Assisi , a cousin of Rufino, an early companion of Francis of Assisi, bought a habit from Francis in order to live as a nun from then on . Clare later founded the Poor Clares with her companions in San Damiano . Every year at Pentecost , the Friars Minor held their chapters there; by 1221 there were over 5000.
After further Franciscan buildings had been erected around the chapel, they were demolished again at the behest of Pope Pius V (1566–1572). In the place where St. Francis had died, the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli was built over the chapel in 1569–78 . The chapel stands directly under the central dome of the basilica.
Indulgence
At the request of St. Francis granted Pope Honorius III. a perfect indulgence for the faithful visit to the portiuncula, when combined with the reception of the sacrament of penance . Since then the chapel has become one of the most important places of pilgrimage . Pope Sixtus IV extended this indulgence privilege to all Franciscan churches in 1480. As a result, portiuncula chapels were added to many of these churches as free replicas of the original. The so-called Portiuncula-Ablass can be purchased on August 2nd every year (Portiunculafest , in festo Portiunculae) .
Furnishing
The chapel was artistically enriched in the following centuries. The colorful fresco by Friedrich Overbeck (1829), who belonged to the Nazarenes , a German-Roman group of artists, is famous . It shows the vision of Francis, which moved him to ask the Pope to grant the portiuncula indulgence. On the side is a grave slab for Pietro Cattani , a brother of Francis who died here in 1221. On the back gable above the apse , a fresco badly damaged at the edges shows a crucifixion group from the end of the 15th century, the attribution of which to Perugino is not generally recognized. The door from the 15th century shows floral motifs.
Inside, the space vaulted by a pointed barrel has remained largely undecorated. Francis himself had brought some stones from Monte Subasio for the reconstruction. The back gable wall includes an altar panel by Hilary of Viterbo dated 1393, which arranges scenes from the life of Francis around an annunciation .
literature
- Georg Kauffmann : Emilia-Romagna, Marken, Umbria (Reclams Art Guide Italy, Volume IV), Stuttgart 1971, pp. 92–93.
- Klaus Zimmermann: Umbria (DuMont Art Travel Guide) Cologne 2011, pp. 192–194.
Web links
- www.porziuncola.org , website of the Portiuncula
Coordinates: 43 ° 3 ′ 29.5 ″ N , 12 ° 34 ′ 49 ″ E