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Assisi, Italy
Assisi rises from the Umbrian plain on the slopes of Monte Subasio, its pink-and-white stone buildings creating a warm, luminous presence visible for miles. The Basilica of San Francesco is a double church — the lower level dark and Romanesque, the upper level light-filled and covered in Giotto's 28-scene fresco cycle of St. Francis's life, considered a watershed moment in Western art. The town's medieval streets climb from the basilica past the Piazza del Comune — with its remarkably preserved Roman Temple of Minerva — to the Rocca Maggiore fortress at the summit, offering panoramic views of the valley. The Basilica of Santa Chiara, the Eremo delle Carceri hermitage on Monte Subasio, and the simple church of San Damiano, where Francis heard God's call, complete the pilgrimage circuit. Assisi's Franciscan spirituality, artistic heritage, and stunning setting make it one of Italy's most moving walking destinations.
explore by interest
Assisi is built on a steep hillside — start at the Basilica of San Francesco at the bottom and walk uphill through the town to the fortress, saving the downhill return for tired legs.
April through June and September through October offer comfortable walking weather, with the Calendimaggio medieval festival in early May as the year's most colorful event.