Franciscan Sanctuary of Rivotorto The church contains inside it. in the central nave. the “hut”. where St. Francis stared at the first home of “summa humilitate” – highest humility – in 1208 and the tradition has it that this is the place where he had drawn up the first draft of the Rule. When St. Francis abandoned his comfortable life to live in absolute poverty. he chose as his residence the hovel in Rivotorto. a building or abandoned hut. with the roof of branches. shelter for the farmers. lapped by the meandering River Rivo. Here St. Francis lived for about two years (1209 – 1211) with his first companions. There were two rooms. old and narrow: the rooms called “bed of St. Francis” and the fire room. In 1455 a chapel was built with an altar. Between 1860 and 1880 after a severe earthquake it was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style and only in 1926 the overlapping construction was eliminated and Hovel was brought back to primitive simplicity. There are currently preserved 12 paintings of 1600 by Cesare Sermei representing episodes of the beginnings of the Franciscan order.