bild

I02-19991128-ASSISI, ITALY: The restored Saint Francis Basilica in Assisi is reopened Sunday 28 November 1999 with a mass presided by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary of state. The basilica was closed after part of the ceiling collapsed during the 1997 earthquakes in the region. Although only partly reconstructed, Franciscan monks, restorers and Italian cultural officials wanted to reopen the Basilica as symbol of hope. EPA PHOTO/ANSA/CROCCHIONI/mp-hh