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The Sanctuary of San Francesco in Greccio is one of the shrines of the Holy Valley of Rieti. Its location alone is striking: clinging to the rock face and surrounded by a holm oak forest overlooking the Rieti basin. Once you learn its history, you will be captivated by this place, which is steeped in mysticism. From 1217, it was the home of St Francis, who, for the first time, staged the Nativity here at Christmas in the year 1223. This gave rise to the tradition of the nativity scene. You can then visit the Chapel of the Nativity, carved out of the rock: behind the altar, it houses a 15th-century fresco from the Giotto school depicting the Nativity, flanked by the figure of Mary Magdalene, patron saint of penitents, and a depiction of the Greccio Nativity scene. On the outer wall of the chapel, the 14th-century fresco by the Master of Fossa depicts St John the Baptist and the Nativity.
The atmosphere continues in the saint’s dormitory, in the 13th-century church of St Bonaventure, in the oratory of St Francis and in the cave of the Blessed John of Parma (c. 1208–1289) who, accused of heresy, was forced into isolation there for 32 years. Greccio is a short walk from the sanctuary. It is a charming medieval village perched on the slopes of Mount Lacerone, with narrow lanes and the remains of walls and towers that once protected the ancient fortified settlement. The collegiate church of St Michael, rebuilt at the end of the 18th century, is beautiful; the isolated bell tower was built in the 17th century on the remains of a medieval tower.
