Portiuncula

Vigil at the Portiuncula on the eve of the Feast of the Pardon (August, 2013)

The Portiuncula (Italian: Porziuncola) is a historic chapel in the town of Santa Maria degli Angeli, near Assisi, Italy. It is closely associated with Francis of Assisi and the Order of Friars Minor, who used the chapel as their headquarters. Following Francis's death in 1226, it became an important pilgrimage site. In the 16th century, a vast basilica, the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels, was built around the Portiuncula.