St Damiano

This monastry houses the little chapel in which Francis, newly back from the war with Perugia, heard Jesus speaking to him from the crucifix. He was told to re-build the church, and initially took it literally as St Damiano and others were in a very ramshackle state at the time. Later, he came to understand it more widely, and founded his order of friars to serve the poor and preach God's word.