Assisi Travel Guide: St. Francis, Giotto & Umbrian Hill Towns

Assisi is the birthplace of St. Francis (1181–1226) and the site of his tomb. The pilgrimage basilica built over his grave is one of the most important churches in Christendom — and the building that Giotto decorated with frescoes that proved almost as revolutionary as his Scrovegni Chapel work in Padua. Assisi is a small medieval hill town that handles millions of pilgrims and tourists each year with remarkable grace; the town itself is architecturally beautiful and the views over the Umbrian plain are exceptional.

The Basilica of St. Francis

The Basilica di San Francesco (begun 1228, two years after Francis’s death) consists of two superimposed churches. The upper church contains Giotto’s cycle of 28 frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis — the definitive narrative cycle of medieval Italian painting. The lower church is darker, earlier, and contains the tomb of the saint. Both are simultaneously functioning churches and artistic monuments; visitors are asked to maintain silence.

The town

Assisi’s medieval streets are largely unchanged since the 13th and 14th centuries. The Basilica di Santa Chiara (St. Clare’s church) houses the Byzantine crucifix that St. Francis reportedly heard speaking to him. The Rocca Maggiore above the town is a 14th-century fortress with outstanding views over the valley. The main square, Piazza del Comune, has the Temple of Minerva — a 1st century BC Roman temple façade, remarkably well-preserved, now a church interior.

Practical

Assisi is 25 minutes from Perugia by bus or train (the train station is 4km from the hilltop town; bus connections from the station). Day trips from Florence (2.5 hours) or Rome (3 hours) are common. Most pilgrims visit for a day; staying overnight, when the day-trippers have gone, gives a very different experience.