Singer-songwriter Patti Smith, whose latest album, Banga, was in part inspired by the life of St Francis, meditated before his tomb in the Umbrian hill town of Assisi yesterday and even helped restore a fresco by Giotto.
Smith, sometimes called the “Godmother of Punk”, spent several hours at the large basilica and convent complex, which is also the burial place of the saint who for centuries has been an inspiration for pacifists and environmentalists.
“When I think of St Francis I don’t think of religion, I don’t think of any rules and regulations,” Smith said. “I think of nature. I think of his love of nature. I think of his absolute love of life and I think any human being can relate to that.”
“I think that St Francis does not exclude anyone. Just like Jesus Christ. If you approach St Francis with love, you receive love in return.”
Smith (65), who is most famous for her 1978 song Because the Night, meditated before the stone tomb of the saint and then joined the brown-robed monks for a frugal lunch in the refectory. St Francis died in 1226.