ALESSANDRO Brustenghi is a 34-year-old friar on the brink of becoming the next big Italian singing voice, a tenor in the style of Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. His debut album, ‘Voice From Assisi’, was released October 15. His home is the Franciscan monastery in Assisi, where one of his jobs is to tell tourists the story of his Order’s founder, St Francis. The following is his fascinating and unique guide to the stunning hilltop town.

ASSISI is an astonishingly beautiful medieval hilltop town, but it is not the only wonderful sight in this corner of Italy: Not far away is Perugia, another lovely town on top of a hill, and nearby is the tiny village of Castiglione della Valle, where I come from. There is, however, something very special about Assisi, the hometown of St Francis. Each year, it attracts five to six million tourists, and the big draw is its links to St Francis and St Clare.
Francis was the son of a wealthy merchant in Assisi. In 1204, after receiving a vision, he suddenly abandoned his wealthy lifestyle, choosing instead to embrace poverty, travelling around in a ‘rough garment’ to preach repentance. Inspired by St Francis’s teachings, Clare of Assisi later joined him to found the women’s Order of St Clare – ‘the Poor Clares’.
Assisi is in the Italian region of Umbria, which very closely resembles neighbouring Tuscany in terms of its landscape. The valleys and big sky are the same. But things are on a smaller scale here: The people are much friendlier (But then, I would say that, wouldn’t I!), and things are more traditional. Life, in many ways, is much the same here as it was centuries ago.
The villages, with their castles and defensive encircling walls, still look the same as they always have, more or less since medieval times. These places are close-knit communities where everybody knows each other. Strangers are instantly recognized, and those of a good heart are welcomed. People in Umbria are very generous.
People from here also tend to stay here. The first time I really left my village on my own to visit another city was when I was 14 and went to study in Perugia. Before I went to London earlier this year to record my album at Abbey Road, the only other time I had been abroad was on a school trip to Paris, when we travelled on the train.
My trip to London was the first time I’d been on a plane. I was a bit worried at first, but it was a wonderful experience. The take-off was amazing; it all felt like a miracle. And I loved London for its fantastic mix of different peoples. Here, I got the chance to enjoy the company of all sorts of people, and I thought, ‘This is what Heaven will be like.’ Yes! London is rather like Heaven!
With my new singing career, I know there will be lots more opportunities for travelling around the world, but singing will be just another part of my work as a friar. The heart of my life will continue to be the friary: I love the tranquility, and enjoy my daily chores. One of my main jobs is to take tour groups around Assisi’s two Franciscan basilicas. I meet them at the entrance and explain the building’s history.
Within the large Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli is the Porzuincola, the little church that was given to Francis by Benedictine monks. He restored the church with his own hands, and later the basilica was built around it. The little church has been preserved exactly as it was, and it’s important because it was here that St Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans), and it has been with us ever since.
Once I’ve told the group the history and significance of the Church, I let them explore unaccompanied, so that they can quietly contemplate everything. Everybody loves the statue of Francis in the cloisters, which have two pet doves which nest there.
I love meeting and talking to the tourists; I think they’re a little surprised to see someone as young as I living as a friar, but their reaction is beautiful. I find that visitors are thirsty for enlightenment: They want to know; they want to feel. They recognise that there is a special spirituality here.
As Franciscans, we do not offer a conventional tour of the town. Our tour offers you the chance to discover the spirit of Assisi with a Franciscan guide. It has a spiritual dimension.
You can, of course, have a tour with a town guide who provides history and stories. But our job is to introduce people to the lives of St Francis and St Clare, and to show how these two saints had such an extraordinary effect on the township and its inhabitants. For example, we show how this is reflected in the frescoes of Giotto, which show the life of St Francis. These frescoes are in the Basilica of St Francis, which is also a monument to medieval art and architecture.
The main reason tourists and pilgrims come to this basilica is that St Francis, who called all animals his ‘brothers and sisters’, and was known for preaching even to birds, is buried in the crypt. What is striking about the art here is that it represents a revolution in style. Previously, Christ was represented in a very stylised iconic form, but thanks to St Francis, Christianity began to take on a more human appearance.
Here, the face of the Virgin Mary, for example, is a typical Umbrian face. Religious art moved from idealised, perfect images to something that embraced humanity, having the effect of making Christianity accessible to more people. Another important site to visit is the Hermitage of the Carceri in the mountains.
This can be reached by way of a beautiful walkway. Here you will find the cave where Francis prayed, and it was around this cave that the Hermitage was built into the rocks. It’s a spectacular place. Anyone coming to Assisi should also visit the church of San Damiano. It’s a mysterious and beautiful place which, at the time of St Francis, was falling into ruin. The road down to it from Assisi is very steep, and passes fields of olive trees. You can appreciate the beautiful Spoletan Valley as you walk down. It was here that St Francis received his first vocation. Francis came into thi
s church to pray before the crucifix, asking what to do with his life. Christ replied to him, saying: “Go rebuild my church, which, as you can see, is falling into ruins.”
He went ahead and rebuilt San Damiano. The start of my musical career began in a small church in 2011, when I attracted the attention of Decca Records. I am the first friar to land a deal with a major record label. I worried that this was too big a project for me, but, on the other hand, I was convinced that this had happened for a reason: Maybe this was a mission from God. I’m not after fame, but I’m happy that all the money will go to assist the activities of the Order of the Friars Minor.
We decided to make an album with popular songs of faith and some special songs of St Francis. I hope people who hear it will see that it is one of passion, history, and soul.
But to really understand the life and work of St Francis, you must come to Assisi. And, who knows! You may have me for your personal guide. (mailonline)

EDITOR’S NOTE: St Francis of Assisi is known not only as the patron saint of animals and the environment, but is also one of the two patron saints of Italy (the other being Catherine of Siena). His Feast Day is on October 4, and it is customary on this day for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals. He is also credited with being the founder of the Christmas Creche, better known as the Nativity Scene.