Our final stop in Assisi led us to the heart of Franciscan Spirituality -- the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels.

 4 unique facts about this Basilica:
1. This grand Basilica is the 7th largest Christian church.
2. Within is the Porziuncola, the tiny chapel where St. Francis founded the Franciscan Order.
3. Just steps away is the Cappella del Transito, the sacred spot where St. Francis took his final breath.
4. The Thornless Roses of Assisi According to tradition, when St. Francis faced temptation, he threw himself into a bramble bush to fight it off. Miraculously, the thorns turned into thornless roses.

 To this day, the Rosa canina assisiensis — a unique, thornless dog rose — still grows in that sacred garden.


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