Assisi is a picture-perfect city nestled amid the rolling green countryside of Umbria. An air of romance pervades the zigzagging medieval streets where St. Francis of Assisi, Italy’s patron saint, lived and worked. The city’s architectural wonders earned it the crown of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Spend your time visiting the centuries-old churches, galleries and museums that elbow up against boutiques, cosy cafés and wine bars.
A good place to start your visit is at Piazza del Comune, an attractive square home to the 13th-century Palazzo del Capitano. Admire the preserved façade of the 1st-century Roman Temple of Minerva, which today houses the Baroque-style Santa Maria Sopra Minverva church. See Roman-era funerary urns and tombstones at the Museo e Foro Romano, situated in a tunnel beneath the square.
From Piazza del Comune, stroll east along Via S. Rufino street toward Piazza San Rufino, pausing to glimpse inside galleries, jewelers and leather stores as you go. Spot frescoes, grotesques and the font in which St. Francis was baptized at the Cathedral of San Rufino. A short walk from here is the striking Basilica of Santa Chiara.
Wander northwest along atmospheric streets until you reach the city’s crowning glory, the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Take your time to browse the paintings by Cimabue, Giotto and Pietro Lorenzetti. On your way back to the city centre, visit the beautiful frescoed chapel Oratorio dei Pellegrini. Afterwards, enjoy views of endless green landscapes from the 14th-century fortress Rocco Maggiore.
More attractions sit on the hillsides at the southern edge of the city. These include the Church of San Damiano and the monk-inhabited hermitage of Ermeo delle Carceri, on the slopes of Monte Subasio.
Assisi’s restaurants serve typical Umbrian dishes such as boar, black truffle and hard wheat pasta dressed with fruity olive oil. Sit at an outdoor terrace, order a glass of locally produced wine and appreciate the city’s magical charm.
Assisi is about a 40-minute drive from Perugia. Get around the city on foot and rent a bike to explore routes in the unspoiled natural beauty of the Umbria region.
