Assisi – Italian Hilltop Town Worth Visiting

It’s not hard to tell when you approach the popular Umbrian city of Assisi: its 13th-century basilica stretches along the top of the hill, dominating the skyline for miles around.

Although this area was known in the Middle Ages by people as ‘the hill of hell’, today thousands of people – art historians, vacationers and religious pilgrims – come to the city every year to visit the basilica where San Francisco de Assisi (or San Francesco di Assisi, to give it its original Italian name) is buried.

The vast building is actually made up of two churches, one on top of the other, and they are very different in style. The upper church is Gothic and slender, while the lower one, accessed through a 13th-century arch, has a much more austere, almost squat look.

Here in the lower church, the magnificent frescoes, including works by Giotto, Lorenzetti and Martini, captivate visitors regardless of their religious beliefs.

The remains of Saint Francis were not discovered until excavations under the altar were carried out in the early 19th century. In 1820, Pope Pius IX canonized Francesco and ordered the construction of the neoclassical-style crypt, and it is here that countless people now come to pay their respects to San Francesco.

Although the Basilica of San Francesco is the main attraction for visitors, there is still more to discover in this town where the Franciscan Order was born. On the contrary, for example, the Teatro Lyrick (Lyrick Theater) in Via G. D’Annunzio offers a varied program of dance, music, theater and comedy throughout the year.

Like anywhere in Italy, it goes without saying that you can also enjoy some of the best food and wine to be found. In Assisi, regional specialties include delicious mushrooms and that prized delicacy, the truffle. Extra virgin olive oil is also particularly good here, due to the thousands of olive trees in the landscape that give Umbria its silver-green glow.

Getting to Assisi is fairly easy, with a variety of options. The small international airport of Sant’Egidio is about 10 km away, although there is no bus that connects it to the town. Alternatively, the train is a good option. Traveling from Florence, for example, you can take one of the regular daily trains, simply changing at Terontola or Cortona. From Rome, take one of the ten daily trains again, this time changing at Foligno. Remember, though, that the train stations in Umbria are at the foot of the hills, while the cities cling to the sides… and the Basilica of San Francesco is at the top.

Keeping the connection with St Francis, you can also visit Isola Maggiore, the largest of the three islands of Lake Trasimeno, which can be easily reached about 50 km away. Saint Francis chose to spend Lent on the island in 1211, recognizing its closeness to nature and how perfect it was for quiet reflection. Today, Isola Maggiore is gently turning into a simple cultural retreat, and creative writing workshops take place there every spring and autumn, as well as the annual Isola del Libri book festival.