Abruzzo Roots of a California Mission

I was about twelve years old when our family made a trip to the late 18th-c Spanish Franciscan mission church San Juan Capistrano in California. On a recent Abruzzo jaunt, Pino and I linked up with the Mission’s origins, exploring the Franciscan monastery just outside L’Aquila, San Giuliano, where San Giovanni from Capestrano (a tiny Abruzzo mountain village), had served as padre guardiano (superior) in the mid-15th century. The cousin of a friend, Father Marco Federici, OFM, welcomed us with twinkling eyes and a sunbeam smile, eager to give us a tour of the monastery, and share with us the many wonders of this sacred site linked to San Giovanni.

Born in the tiny mountain farm village of Capestrano (about 40 km southeast of L’Aquila), Giovanni, had excelled in law studies at the university in Perugia, married, become an esteemed magistrate, then governor of the city. He was imprisoned during the Malatesta family dominance of Perugia and – like Francesco di Assisi – embraced a conversion of life during imprisonment. Upon his liberation, he had his marriage annulled, then took his vows as a Franciscan in nearby Assisi.

On his return to his native L’Aquila, Giovanni from Capestrano became padre guardiano of the Franciscan community of the San Giuliano monastery. Like San Bernardino da Siena, Giovanni was a protagonist of the reformist movement of the Franciscans, “l’Osservanza” (“Observance”, that is “observing” or living, the true spirit of poverty of francescanesimo as set out by beloved founder, Francesco di Assisi, about two hundred years prior).

With Padre Marco, we visited the 17th Baroque chapel graced with guilded altar and carved walnut choir stall, the cloister frescoed in the 18th c with images of Franciscan personages and in the original nucleus of the monastery, the 15th -c “conventino” (“tiny monastery”) with rooms so small that Pino had to bow his head to squeeze in. Recently restored 15th c frescoes of an unknown – but highly skilled maestro – depict the stories of Christ’s Passion and episodes of Mary’s life – as well as St. Jerome and St. Francis images.

But for me, culminating moment of the visit was the visit to the sacristy – not to see the restored Crucifixion fresco but to see the friars’ cupboard doors! When Padre Marco opened the walnut doors, delightful naif scenes of the Abruzzo countryside and walled feudal hill towns came alive in vivid colors. A 17th-century artist – probably a friar – had painted inside the cupboard playful whimsical scenes of gardens, mountaintop castles, river ways, walled medieval cities, fountains, orchards, and rolling fields of grain.

I’d return again to San Giuliano just for another visit to the sacristy…..and preferably in the company of congenial Fr. Marco.

Click here to read about Pino’s gift to L’Aquila
See Pino’s restoration work here
Read about where we stayed on one of our trips to L’Aquila
Read about – and see – L’Aquila restoration
Read more on L’Aquila, “wounded eagle “
Read about another Abruzzo earthquake damaged town
Read about good eating in L’Aquila
Find out why we so love Abruzzo
Read about memorable Abruzzo adventures
Read about an enchanting Abruzzo hill town
Read about news on an Abruzzo fortified town