Story of the Arch
Italian version
The final struggle that sister Angela experiences concerning the school involves the construction of an arch across Via San Giacomo to connect two houses that face each other and are divided by the street itself. In one account that is hand-written by Marcheselli, we find the events that occurred in a two-week period, from September 16-30, concerning her request for, the acceptance of, and the realization of this arch that extends between the two houses even today. This document discusses various aspects of this topic: on September 16th, Mother Angela "goes all around the city Assisi" entrusting her goal to the good will of the city officials and Council members; September 21st is the day on which the Council meets, as announced publicly but in secret, and they vote in favor of the construction of the arch. (91) They nominate some inspectors to oversee the construction site. On September 22nd, they approved the site and issue a decress (92) about it so that the construction of the arch can begin on the 24th. In just a few days it is almost completed. In fact, on the 30th of September, only a few things are lacking. It is interesting to note that, among the city personnel, one is Lelio Nuti, a nobleman of Assisi who is the father of two daughters who are Tertiaries in the “Pious House”: Teresa, who was invested in 1727 and Maria Cecilia, who was invested in 1728 (93). Perhaps his presence facilitated the approval of her proposal given that difficulties often arose in such proceedings. Let us highlight the motives that sister Angela gives for the construction of the arch:
“… I would like to pull an arch (sic!) from the House, where I live, to the other, which faces it. That house was bought from Mr. Capitano Luccatelli for this purpose, so that when our many young girls come to school, we may carry on this charitable work without any inconvenience since we teach within the same house where we live and where many young girls live, and this house is small. It would be good if we could have some rooms and other things for them for the school. This arrangement would give less disturbance to those who live here, for they should be able to have separate rooms, as is needed, and the students can be more in the same rooms without any difficulties, for there can be distractions involved in keeping a school for young secular girls in this same place where there are residents who are concerned with religious life and household commitments. … The arch will be high, and well-made, so that it will not be in the way of the Crosses that are carried in Processions on the streets. It should not be of a different style than the rest of the street’s architecture. Rather, it should comply with the Statutory dispositions set out in Book 2, Rubric 39” (94).
The arch is built is to save the life of the Tertiaries as well as the life of the young girls. By using the arch, the young girls could avoid crossing the street, given that the streets of were in terrible condition at the time and whoever used them was subject to catching infections from the many animals that roamed on them undisturbed. Marcheselli gives a suggestive and moving image of Mother Angela in his brief, written account. She is eighty years old yet she is moving around the streets of Assisi to know what to do in order to get a positive response to her request for permission to build the arch. “She went around, even if she was almost eighty years old, to all of the houses, all day Saturday and part of Sunday, the 16th of September” (95). The first Sisters’ account of this event has a totally different tone to it. They focus, once again, on the persecuting glares that some had against sister Angela’s activities and her good natured response toward those persons (96).
A short time later, on November 2, 1736, the Foundress dies. Her body is buried in the tomb of the Third Order in the Chapel of the Crucifix in the Lower Basilica of Saint Francis, carried there, in a dignified casket, by the Tertiaries of the Santa Croce Conservatory. She is buried there where, many years before, she gave herself to God and to her brothers and sisters, following the example of the Poor Man of Assisi.
90. See ASFMA, 12. Notes concerned with the arch connecting
to the housethat was bought on September 22, 1736.
91.
92. See Ibidem, L. 17, Reforms, sheet added to page 32: “In
the name of God, Amen. On September 22, 1736. In execution
of the concession and resolution taken by the General Council
in response to the request made by the the woman sister Angela
del Giglio, Superior of the Venerale Congregation and Pious
House of the Tertiaries. Those who sign herein, the Illustrious
Council Members and Officials of the City to whom it was given
to establish and carry out what she was requesting, for the con-
struction of an arch from that Pious House to another that faced it.
The previously mentioned personnel were brought together at the
intended site. They decided that the arch must be made out of
stone or bricks that would correspond to the second window of the
house facing it, where it comes to a corner that is to be as high,
from the ground to the light, between thirteen and a half feet and
the connector is to be nine feet wide including the thickness of the
walls, being seven feet, and so, in that way, they must make and form
an arch that is artistic, and not ugly, and this is what was decided
according to that resolution according to their jurisdiction, in faith,
in Assisi, on this day in the abovementioned year. Mazzichi
Gonfaliere and the City Officials Lelio Nuti, Marini and Bartolomeo
Cilleni.”
93. See ASFMA, Book of the Investitures, cit., p. 1: p. 2.
94. Ibidem, f. 46r.
95. ASFMA, 12. Notes on the arch, cit.
96. See Ibidem, Historical Highlights, cit., ff.6-7: “ There was no lack, though of evil persons opposed to whatever advantageous resolutions
this Servant of the Lord received. These persons always came to her
and, in exchange, got secret charitable donations, and the more they
grew angry against her, the more she came to meet their needs and
prayed for their needs to the Giver of all good. For this reason, when
she wanted to unite her House to the one across from it, that one where she had a public School for young girls, she was constrained by those persons, even in her old age of almost eighty years old, to cover almost the whole city of Assisi in just two days to ask for the assistance and convince the Members, Elders and Leaders that made up the Council.”
