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Jerusalem, in Tyre in 1192. They failed in two attempts
on SALADIN in 1174 and 1176. The MONGOLS under
HULEGUcaptured their castles in Iran until 1256, when
Alamut itself fell. The Syrian strongholds were gradually
subjugated by the MAMLUKsultan BAYBARSI by 1273.
After that, they lived on only as a small heretical sect in
Syria, Iran, and South Asia.
Further reading:Marshall G. S. Hodgson, The Order
of Assassins: The Struggle of the Early Nizari Ismailis
against the Islamic World(1955; reprint, The Hague: Mou-
ton, 1980); Bernard Lewis, The Assassins: A Radical Sect in
Islam(New York: Oxford University Press, 1967).

Assisi Assisi is a hill town in Umbria in central Italy,
situated off the old Roman Via Flaminia. As a prosperous
Roman town, Assisi had a medieval history that revolved
around a succession of sacks and destructions, from
TOTILAto CHARLEMAGNE, and well beyond. It became
part of a LOMBARDand then a Frankish duchy centered in
Spoleto. From the time of FREDERICKI in the 12th cen-
tury the town became directly dependent on the empire.
This subordination was enforced by the still extant and
dominating imperial rocca or fortress. The existence of a
COMMUNEdates from this time. From 1200 on the history
of the town is marked by subjection to the pope, Perugia,
or other external powers, combined with local seigniorial
control. After numerous debilitating wars from the 14th
to the early 16th century the town became part of the
states of the Church under Pope Paul III (r. 1534–49).
From the early 13th century, the FRANCISCANORDER,
ST.FRANCIS, and ST.CLAREgradually became the sole

sources of vitality and identification for the town in its

architectural, institutional, and spiritual significance. The

concentration of all its energies around the Franciscans,

simultaneous with the economic decline of the town,

drained the life from the other religious and civil aspects

in Assisi’s history. A great double church was built over

the tomb of Francis between 1240 and 1340. It contains

important frescoes by artists such as GIOTTO,CIMABUE,

and SIMONEMARTINI.

Further reading:Elvio Lunghi, The Basilica of St.

Francis at Assisi: The Frescoes by Giotto, His Precursors

and Followers, trans. Christopher Evans (London:

Thames and Hudson, 1996); James H. Stubblebine, Assisi

and the Rise of Vernacular Art(New York: Harper & Row,

1985); Ariel Toaff, The Jews in Medieval Assisi, 1305–1487:

A Social and Economic History of a Small Jewish Commu-

nity in Italy(Florence: L. S. Olschki, 1979); Lina Water-

field (Duff-Gordon), The Story of Assisi(London: J. M.

Dent, 1901).

assize The term assizefrom the Latin assisa,literally,

“a sitting or session or assembly” of judges, usually

refers to a group of edicts concerning the nature and

possession of property. The word was used in France

and England. In 12th-century ENGLANDit often referred

to meetings of the royal council or to the legislation

that resulted from those meetings. In addition, the

word referred to specific legal remedies or processes

that were approved in such meetings. The first such

usage appeared during the reign of King HENRY II.

Henry, called the father of English common law, created

View of Assisi (Courtesy Library of Congress)