The Chariot of Fire
Look up. Francesco is flying, enveloped in flames, on a chariot pulled by two horses. Some friars are surprised, others frightened: they see Francis performing a miracle that recalls the prophet Elijah’s one. According to the biblical tradition, he reached heaven, kidnapped by a chariot of fire.
In this chapel, Francis’ life is closely related to biblical history: on the vault, in fact, some scenes from the old and the new testaments are painted, including the story of Elijah and the chariot of fire.
These images project Francis’ figure into a much broader story: the life of the saint of Assisi is only the natural continuation of what is narrated in the Bible and represented on the walls.