The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, in the town where St. Francis was born and died, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Franciscan Order and one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. The Basilica, begun in 1228, comprises two churches – the Upper Church and Lower Church – and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. With permission, choral groups can sing during Holy Mass. Assisi