Assisi, Italy

The famous village of Assisi, located on the slopes of Mt. Subasio in Umbria, is an incredible place to visit, filled with history, architecture, art, all to be discovered along its cobbled, narrow streets, and alleyways. People flock here for the art, and food; some come on a pilgrimage, and others come to experience this perfect quintessential Italian village. Whatever your reason, you won’t be disappointed.

Assisi is the birthplace of Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment; both of which are near and dear to my heart. He was born here in 1180 and is the founder of the Franciscan order. During the war with Perugia, he was imprisoned which lead to a big change in his lifestyle. He denounced his family’s wealth and devoted his life to serving those in need, the animals, and environment.

According to legend, he even preached to the birds, telling them: My brother and sister birds, you should praise your creator and always love him: He gave you feathers for clothes and wings and all other things that you need. It is God who made you noble among all creatures, making your home in the air. I find it interesting that he was well respected and not thought of as completely crazy for talking to birds and other animals. It reminds me of the scene in the TV series MASH when Radar O’Reilly played by Gary Burghoff exclaims animals are people too!

Assisi has been a major pilgrimage destination for centuries, and you’ll see many nuns, friars, and priests as you wander through the village.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw the Temple of Minerva. Built in the 1st century BC, this building has been used as a courthouse, jail, city hall, and now serves as a church, Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

Assisi is known as the city of saints; as I mentioned earlier, Saint Francis born here in 1180, is the founder of the Franciscan order. His student, Saint Chiara (Clare) was also born here and founded the Poor Clares, an order devoted to silent contemplation. There are currently 20,000 in the order in 76 countries around the globe. Like Francis, Clare denounced her family’s wealth to devote her life in service to the church.

Basilica San Francesco became a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2000 as it is considered a treasured work of beauty and architecture, and a masterpiece of creative genius.

Construction began in 1228 and was completed in 1253; which is considered incredibly quick for a structure of this size in that time period. You’ll feel a quiet contemplation as you descend the stairs to the tomb of Saint Francis. Priests are present to provide prayer slips for those who want to submit a prayer to the Saint. To read more about the basilica, click here to read theTravelsketcher’s recent post. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside, but the frescos are unlike any others I have seen.

And, as always, Assisi is an intriguing place to wander and take photos.

We had some delicious meals in Assisi, one was at Michelin rated il Frantoio. Our meal here was creative, delightful, and absolutely delicious.

To learn more about our meal at il Frantoio, click here to read theTravelsketcher’s review of the restaurant.

Another fabulous meal was at Taverna Magna Comunis, where we enjoyed zucchini/courgette carpaccio with goat cheese with nuts; pumpkin soup, and Argentinian steak with truffle and pecorino cream.

I hope you enjoyed this stroll through Assisi which is a complete joy to visit, with something for everyone. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and would not hesitate to return. As always, I would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment if you’re so inclined.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia