The Basilica of St. Francis in the medieval town of Assisi is separated into two basilicas, the upper basilica and the lower basilica. Construction of the basilica was started in 1228, just after St. Francis' canonization, on a hill commonly known as "Hill of Hell" or "Colle d'inferno" in Italian (later named the hill of paradise). Both basilicas have ribbed vaulted ceilings decorated with paintings and frescos. The vaults alternate in the upper basilica: half are decorated with the traditional blue sky with yellow stars (made famous with medieval architecture), and frescos painted by Cimbaue, Giotto, the Lorenzetti brothers, and Simone Martini, some of the most famous artists of the fourteenth century. Cimbaue, who lived from 1240-1302, painted a particularly striking fresco in the lower basilica, his Crucifixion, which shows Christ on the cross with St. Francis kneeling at the foot of the cross, emphasizing his desire to live like Christ.
Sources:
- http://www.italia.it/en/travel-ideas/unesco-world-heritage-sites/assisi-and-the-basilica-of-st-francis.html
- http://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/vatican/renaissance-frescoes-in-italy-beyond-michelangelo-sistine-chapel