Luminous and illuminating Francis
‘For visitors entering Assisi, the first sight of the Basi-lica complex comprises the lower square, surrounded by porticos built around 1467. Once past the entrance, as the encounter with Francis comes closer, all this is left behind. The monks are there to welcome all, mindful of the Saint’s invitation: ‘… Whosoever co-mes to you, friend or foe, welcome him as a brother’. The Franciscan message of life spreads to all quarters through the monks: the centrality of Christ consi-deration for human beings, love for the entire creation. Passing through the door of the Lower Basilica, a long inscription in Latin greets visitors. The first words read: ‘Stop your journey and be joyous, oh pilgrim: you have already reached the hill of Paradise’. The inscription ends with: ‘…Enter: you will see even greater things’. Hopefully, visitors to the exhibition will be able to taste a ‘piece of Paradise’. They are cordially invited to go to Assisi, as pilgrims, to enjoy that unique experience which is the encounter with Saint Francis. The exhibition covers an area of 200 square meters and is composed of a large screen ( 2×7 m) simultaneous 24 projector multivision of the slides taken inside the Basilica, after the new lighting arrangements studied and implemented by the Enel. Besides the multivision, another two rooms will house numerous captioned pictures of the masterpieces of Ghiotto, Cimabue and others inside the Basilica. The exhibition has been organized by Enterprise, a communications agency of Rimini specialized in the organization of events. Last year, together with Enel, Enterprise presented to visitors at the Meeting a multivision of the mosaics in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice.’