The Frate Elia Wall Fresco in Assisi, Italy

The San Francisco/Assisi Sister City Committee has begun a fundraising campaign to restore a 17^th century Assisi wall fresco or “Aedicula”, on Via Frate Elia, the street leading up to the magnificent Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. In Ancient Roman times, an “Aedicula” was a small shrine often appearing on city walls protecting a house or city streets. The Frate Elia fresco portrays St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare praying to the Madonna.

The fresco is exposed to constant atmospheric agents and pollutants, which over the centuries have contributed to degradation and have compromised its state of conservation.

The San Francisco – Assisi Sister City Program was established in 1969 to build global cooperation at the municipal level, promote cultural understanding, and stimulate economic activity between San Francisco, California and Assisi, Italy.

The San Francisco Assisi Sister City Committee is working with Roots of Peace to raise funds for the Assisi fresco.

Roots of Peace is a San Francisco Bay Area Headquartered non-profit organization which works to cultivate peace through agriculture worldwide. On September 21, 1997, following the tragic death of the late Princess Diana, the vision began to eradicate an estimated 70 million landmines in over 70 countries. Heidi Kuhn, Founder/CEO, is a cancer survivor, and deeply believed ‘Cancer is a landmine, and landmines are a cancer to the earth.’ Since then, she has raised funds and awareness to remove over 100,000 landmines/UXO and plant fruit trees on former war-torn lands. In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi the Gardener, namesake of San Francisco, Roots of Peace is proud to partner with the Sister-Cities program to renew the frescos.