Planning a trip to Assisi? Prepare to be swept off your feet by this town’s charming medieval ambience. There’s no shortage of things to do in Assisi, whether you stay for a day or a week.
Assisi is a town that exists outside of time. Its perfectly preserved and uniform medieval ambience envelopes you as soon as you step foot in town. You may as well forget what century it is. For as long as you are in Assisi, you’ll be living in medieval Italy.
Spilling down the side of Mount Subasio, Assisi is safeguarded by two hilltop fortresses, Rocca Maggiore and Rocca Minore. In winter, the air is filled with the scent of wood-burning fires and the sound of ringing church bells. The pink limestone of Mount Subasio, from which many of the town’s structures and monuments are built, gives Assisi’s streets a warm glow, especially in the afternoon light.
Beyond the incredibly picturesque streets and sweeping views of the lush green Umbrian countryside, Assisi is home to what’s been called “the most beautiful house of prayer in the world” – the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi.
This exquisite church is decorated with frescoes by Giotto, the creative mind behind Florence’s Duomo Bell Tower. With his stunning frescoes, Giotto foreshadowed the Renaissance that would come a century later.
All this medieval splendour stands on the foundations of the Roman city of Assisium. While Assisi is mainly known as the birthplace of St Francis, one of the most important Catholic saints and the founder of the Franciscan Order, the town had been settled for over a thousand years before St Francis was born in 1181.
There is something for everyone in Assisi, so if you are planning your next trip and wondering where to go in Italy, consider including Assisi in your itinerary.
Before we delve into things to do in Assisi, here’s a bit of history for those not familiar with this wonderful Umbrian hilltop town.
Roman Asisium
The first inhabitants of Assisi were the Umbrians, who were replaced by Etruscans around 450 BC. And around 295 BC, Romans took over most of central Italy and established the city of Asisium on the slope of Mont Subasio.
In Roman times, Assisium was a flourishing city encircled by stone walls. Like most Roman cities, it had an amphitheatre, a forum, an aqueduct that brought fresh water from the mountain springs, and a cistern to store the water.
In the third century AD, an Anatolian missionary, Rufinus, came to Assisi and converted the city to Christianity. He was subsequently executed by the Romans, but he took his revenge by becoming the patron saint of Assisi, San Rufino.
A century and a half later, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, and many of the “pagan” Roman structures were converted to churches.
San Rufino Cathedral, for example, sits on the foundations of the Roman cistern. The aqueduct that brought water to this cistern still functions, and you can fill your water bottle from any of the brass taps you find around town.
If you are interested in learning more about Roman traces in Assisi, my guide to Roman Assisi has all the details.
Medieval Assisi
In medieval times, Assisi was a thriving, wealthy town due to its strategic location on the trade route between Northern Europe and Southern Italy. Until the Black Death of the 13th century arrived and killed a third of the town’s inhabitants. The town never recovered. Ironically, the bubonic plague was the reason Assisi’s townscape remained preserved in all its medieval glory.
Things to do in Assisi
The main sites in Assisi are the three major basilicas: Saint Francis, Saint Clare, and Saint Rufino, and the Roman Temple of Minerva, which was converted to a church in 1539. Enough to lure you in for a weekend in Assisi.
But the charm of Assisi is found on its ancient streets, which twist and turn in the most atmospherically irregular ways, often opening up to stunning views of the valley of Tescio spreading below the town.
The best way to start exploring Assisi is by walking into town through one of its medieval gates. Porta Perlici, near the main bus stop at the eastern end of town, is a good starting point.
Walk a few steps outside of town and soak in the view of both hilltop fortresses, Rocca Maggiore and Rocca Minore, on the opposite hills, the stone wall running all the way between them, and Porta Perlici cut through the wall.
The area around Porta Perlici Street (via Porta Perlici) has some of the best streets and alleyways for exploring Assisi’s medieval urban architecture. The most atmospheric streets are the back alleys, called vicolos.
Depending on how much time you have, you might like to take a slow meander through this quarter of town, walking through several gates and down adorable side alleys.
Another perk of starting your explorations from Porta Perlici is that you’ll be mainly walking downhill. Sitting on the side of a mountain, Assisi has some pretty steep streets.
Assisi Cathedral – La Cattedrale di San Rufino
The first basilica you come to is the Assisi Cathedral – the Basilica di San Rufino. Built in the 11th century on the site of an earlier church, which was built on top of the Roman cistern, San Rufino has one of the best and purest Romanesque facades in Italy.
If you are used to Renaissance churches in Italy, you’ll find the interior decorations of the Cathedral quite modest. The main feature here is the crypt, which contains the remains of Bishop Rufinus of Assisi.
Between April and September, you can climb the cathedral’s bell tower to see the sweeping views of the town. But the most exciting part of the cathedral is located below it.
Artfully preserved as The Cathedral Underground Museum, the extensive vaulted basement of San Rufino is a church underneath a church that displays artworks from the earlier churches that stood on this spot and the remnants of the Roman Forum, with fantastic images reconstructing what this area looked like in Roman times.
In front of San Rufino Cathedral, by the pizza shop, you can see a section of the original Roman pavement. This was part of the main road that led to the forum. Take this opportunity to stand on the 2,000-year-old pavement as you gaze at the 11th-century cathedral.
Adorable Medieval Streets
Before you leave the San Rufino area, take a stroll through some back streets here. Finding the charming gems of medieval back lanes was one of my favourite things to do in Assisi, so I will tell you where the best hidden alleys are.
With your back to the Cathedral, you’ll be looking down via S. Maria delle Rose. This street leads to some of the most adorably irregular alleyways in all of Assisi.
Walk along the street for a few meters until you reach Quo Vadis, an incredibly charming hotel with views over medieval rooftops from its rooms. This is where I stayed in Assisi, and you can read my review of Quo Vadis if you are looking for a gorgeous place to stay in town.
Just past Quo Vadis, a little lane – Vicolo della Forteza, ducks downhill on your right.
Follow this lane, then walk down Vicolo S. Agata until you come to the meeting point of three different alleyways with a house standing at the convergence of these alleys. Some of the alleys run uphill from this point, while others lead downhill. It’s the most tangled-up arrangement of streets in town.
Next, duck through the arch onto Vicolo del Cipresso. Here, a very hardy cypress tree is growing in the tiniest patch of green space. It is amazing that the tree is able to survive and flourish in such a uniformly paved environment. Its roots must run very deep.
Back at Piazza San Rufino, there is a local favourite pizza shop – Pizzeria da Andrea. They sell pizza by the slice that you can either eat in the shop or take to go. All their pizzas are superb, but anything with truffles is divine.
Once you are ready to continue, follow the signs on the corner of Andrea’s pizzeria to Santa Chiara. You can find street signs pointing to various points of interest in Assisi on virtually every street corner. It is a very easy town to navigate.
Church of St Clare – Basilica di Santa Chiara
St Clare was Assisi’s much-beloved daughter. Born into a wealthy family, Clare fell in love with St Francis’ teaching. So much so that she ran away from her father’s house and came to live in voluntary poverty in the San Damiano convent.
Soon, other women joined her, and the Order of Poor Clares was born. The Poor Clares always remind me of St. Teresa and the Barefoot Carmelites of Avila in Spain. Taking on a life of poverty seemed to appeal to some medieval ladies.
Clare lived such a simple life of virtue and obedience at San Damiano that she was canonised as soon as she died in 1253. Only 12 years later, the Basilica di Santa Chiara was built, and the Poor Clares still stay at the convent today.
There are some beautiful frescoes in the church, but most of them were covered with whitewash in later centuries. The ridiculous custom of covering frescos with whitewash has concealed a phenomenal amount of art all across Europe, even as far as Constantinople.
The church crypt contains St Clare’s tomb. And, in the chapel of the Crucifix of San Damiano, you can see the cross that ‘spoke’ to Saint Francis (in answer to his prayers), instructing him to rebuild the church.
Via Santa Chiara
Running between Porta Nuova and the church of St Clare, Saint Clare Street is an interesting stroll. The street is quite short, but it has fantastic views of the valley and some of the best artisan shops in town. It also gives you a sense of how Assisi grew over the centuries.
You can see three different city gates here. Looking towards the centre of town, there is a Roman gate – this is where the Roman city wall ran. Just behind the church is a medieval gate that marks the course of the medieval city wall, which you can see running down the hillside along the back wall of the church.
Further up the street is the grand Puerta Nuova (the New Gate), which marks the second medieval extension of the city walls in 1316.
If you are looking to take home some high-quality home decor souvenirs, drop by the Daca shop, a short stroll outside the city wall through Porta Nuova.
From St Clare church, head uphill following signs for Piazza del Comune – the heart of Assisi.
Piazza del Comune
Piazza del Comune has been the centre of Assisi for 2,000 years. There are a few things to see here. It is also a good place to stop for lunch – there are several bars and restaurants in the square.
Temple of Minerva
Piazza del Comune is dominated by the spectacular colonnade that once framed the front of the Roman Temple of Minerva, built in the 1st century BC. It is considered to be the best-preserved Roman temple facade in Italy.
The temple is so well-preserved because it was converted to a church in 1539. Visit the church, and you will see original Roman flooring on both sides of the altar. There are even ornate stone drains on the floor, supposedly for the blood from sacrifices to flow to.
Torre del Popolo
Adjacent to the temple is the 47-meter-tall Popolo Tower. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, you can climb the tower for 5 euros (tickets are sold at the Tourist office at the plaza).
The view is quite good. It sweeps over the cloud-shrouded Monte Subasio, the green fields that stretch out to the horizon, and the medieval rooftops of Assisi’s streets. To find more epic views in Assisi, read my guide to the 12 Assisi Streets with the Best Medieval Architecture and Superb Views.
Painted Archway
Right across the square from the temple is one of Assisi’s hidden gems – a 16th-century archway that used to be part of the town’s market. The ceiling of the arch is decorated in the unique ‘grotesque’ style of painting that became popular during the Renaissance. The name doesn’t sound appealing, but trust me, it’s very beautiful.
The term ‘grotesque’ comes from the word ‘grotto’ or ‘cave’. Renaissance artists discovered this style of painting when they found their way into Nero’s famed Golden Palace, which had been buried under the streets of Rome for over a thousand years.
Nero was a highly controversial figure in his day, and after his death in 68 AD, the Roman ruling elite wanted to destroy all traces of his life; they even built the Colosseum on the site of Nero’s palace gardens. The palace itself was filled with earth, and public baths were built on top of it.
Then, sometime in the early 15th century, a Roman pedestrian fell into a hole in the ground and found himself in a grotto decorated with beautiful frescoes painted in an unusual style that combined real elements of nature with fantastical ones in an extravagant and dream-like fashion.
Soon, the “grotto” became a site of pilgrimage for Renaissance artists. Rafael, Michelangelo, and Ghirlandaio all have climbed down the ropes into the remnants of Nero’s stunning palace, half-filled with earth. They were greatly inspired by the unusual frescoes and called the style ‘grotto-esque’ because, as far as they were concerned, they were in a painted cave.
By the way, you can visit Nero’s palace, Domus Aurea, on a very cool tour in Rome. It includes a Virtual Experience of the palace as it was in Nero’s time.
The grotesque style has been used in the most spectacular way by Vasari in the decorations of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. You can also see it on the walls and ceiling of the Vatican Museums in Rome. So, this archway is a very special piece of Renaissance art in Assisi.
Libreria Tipografia Zubboli
Also on Piazza del Comune is one of Assisi’s oldest and most unique shops – Libreria Tipografia Zubboli bookshop (Piazza del Comune, 18). They specialise in exquisite hand-made marbled paper notebooks, leather-bound hand-made cotton paper notebooks, as well as history books and travel guides. It is a beautiful shop that has been passed down in the family since 1870.
Roman Forum and Archaeological Museum
If you want to get an idea of what Piazza del Comune looked like in Roman times, when it was the town’s main forum, head underground to the Roman Forum and Archaeological Museum. The entrance is via Via Portica.
It is a fascinating space. The video in the museum shows the reconstruction of the forum, including the Temple of Minerva, two large statues in front of it and the market stalls around the perimeter. The base on which the statues stood is right there in the museum, in the same spot it always stood.
Chiesa Nuova – New Church
Just a 1-minute stroll from Piazza del Comune into the maze of back streets is the Chiesa Nuova – New Church, with a beautiful exterior and some lovely frescoes inside.
It was built in 1615 on the site of the presumed birthplace of St. Francis, and because it was the last church to be built in Assisi at the time, it was called the New Church.
Unlike all other churches in Assisi, Chiesa Nuova was built in the late Renaissance style, inspired by the Sant’Eligio degli Orefici church in Rome, which was designed and built by Raphael. Together with the painted archway nearby, the church adds a lovely Renaissance touch to the medieval ambience of Assisi.
Fontebella Street – Best Views in Assisi
From Piazza del Comune, two of the most beautiful streets in town lead toward the Basilica of St Francis: Via Fontebella and Via San Francesco. Take via Fontebella on the way there and return by Via San Francesco, with a little detour.
Via Fontebella has some of the best views in Assisi. About halfway along the street, there is a gorgeous viewpoint over the ornate rooftops of Chiesa di San Pietro (St Peter’s church) and the brilliantly green fields of the valley below.
A few meters up the street, next to Fontebella Palace Hotel, there is another viewpoint – this one is framed by two buildings and a charming wrought iron street light hanging off one of the walls.
If you are ready for an afternoon snack, Bar Sensi is a lovely patisserie that sells a wide range of traditional Assisi sweets. It is a great spot to enjoy the view with a cup of coffee.
Basilica of Saint Francis – Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone was born in 1181 into a rich family in Assisi. But after serving in the army during a war with Perugia, he became disillusioned with life and withdrew into prayer and meditation.
His life-changing revelation came during his retreat at San Damiano monastery (more about the monastery below), after which he renounced his family and his name, becoming Francesco (or Francis) and choosing a life of prayer and service to God.
Francis preached a simple life and unconditional love, not only for fellow human beings but also for the natural world. His love for nature and animals would later make him the patron saint of ecology.
Before long, Francis acquired a large following, and in 1210, the Franciscan Order was established. Today, Franciscan churches can be found all over the world, from Florence to Prague to the United States.
Francis died in 1226, and two years later, he was declared a saint by the Pope. The following day, the Pope laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of St. Francis, where Francis was buried in 1230, under the Lower Basilica. Since then, pilgrims have been flocking to Assisi in their thousands.
St. Francis Basilica is actually two churches, the lower and upper basilicas. Although the two are quite different in style, they are both exquisite.
The lower basilica was built in the late Romanesque style with low vaulted ceilings and stunning frescoes by Giotto. The upper basilica has the same floor plan but with soaring Gothic lines and stunning 28 frescos by Giotto and Simone Martini, which tell the story of St Francis. Completed in 1253, the upper basilica is the oldest Gothic church in Italy.
The overall effect of St. Francis Basilica is spellbinding. Its dazzling ceiling and vibrantly colourful frescoes create a mesmerising effect, all the more unexpected given the church’s austere Romanesque facade.
Church of St Margherita Viewpoint
My favourite viewpoint in Assisi is the town’s most picturesque hidden gem. Looking for a nice vantage point to photograph St Francis Basilica, I was wondering about the twisting vicolos that branch off from Via San Francesco.
Meandering without any particular purpose, I followed a very picturesque Vicolo San Nicholas and came to a tiny square with magnificent views of the basilica and the Umbrian countryside.
The square is so tiny it’s not marked on Google Maps. It lies at the front of an unassuming 13th-century church of St Margherita. And because it’s well concealed among the maze of back alleys, hardly anyone comes here.
The easiest way to reach the square is by following Vicolo San Nicholas up the hill from via San Francesco. It’s only a short stroll through some of the best medieval architecture in town.
It is a serene little spot. There are two wooden benches at the square facing the panoramic view over the stone wall. If you come here for sunset, you’ll likely have the view and the square all to yourself.
Porta San Giacomo – Saint James Gate
There are plenty of medieval city gates in Assisi, but only one of them has an olive tree growing on top of its tower – Porta San Giacomo. This stately 12th-century city gate was probably built on the site of an earlier gate.
Having walked through Porta Perlici at the start of your walk, you’ll now be exiting (even if only ceremoniously) through a gate at the opposite end of town. Even though there are plenty of sights to see and things to do in Assisi, the town is not very big at all.
Rocca Maggiore
Towering over the streets of Assisi, Rocca Maggiore is a fortified castle that provided safety to the townspeople during troubled times.
The current structure of Rocca Maggiore dates back to 1356, although the fort is much older. Unfortunately, it is currently closed for renovations, but don’t let this deter you from climbing the hill. It’s quite a short climb – 10-15 minutes from San Rufino Cathedral (via the steps on Vicolo S. Lorenzo). And the views of Assisi from the fort are not something you’d want to miss, especially at sunset.
San Damiano
San Damiano is a quiet little church and monastery where Saint Francis is said to have received his life-changing message from God. Located just outside the city walls, it is exactly the kind of place you imagine when you think of an out-of-town medieval monastery – simple, peaceful, and quiet.
This is where St Clare came to live when she left her wealthy family in Assisi to follow St Francis’ teaching.
San Damiano is about a 15-minute stroll downhill (and a slower waddle uphill on the way back) through Porta Nueva, past the tranquil olive groves, towards the lush green valley below.
It’s definitely worth the effort to walk here. Just make sure to check the opening time. The church might be closed between 12 and 2 pm.
How to Get to Assisi
Assisi is conveniently connected by train to Rome, Florence, Perugia and other major cities. The journey from Rome takes about 2 hours on a direct train and about 2.5 hours with a change at Foligno. You can check train schedules and buy your tickets online.
Assisi train station is located in the valley, about 5km from the walled town. The taxi costs about 20 euros. There is also a bus (Line C) that will take you to the historic town centre. You can get your bus ticket at the little newsagent’s store inside the train station.
Where to Stay in Assisi – Quo Vadis
As I mentioned, I stayed at the charming Quo Vadis. Located in a historic palace, Quo Vadis is the perfect combination of modern-day creature comforts and medieval ambience. My room had the most adorable view of medieval rooftops, and breakfast was served in a vaulted medieval hall that doubles up as the dining room at Quo Vadis.
More on Exploring Italy
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- Leonardo da Vinci in Florence: In the Footsteps of the Renaissance Master
- Walking Through Medici Florence: Palaces, Power and Art Patronage
- A Charming Medieval Hotel in Assisi Italy: Quo Vadis Review
- Visiting Domus Aurea: A Journey Through Nero’s Lost World
- 23 Hidden Gems in Florence Hiding in Plain Sight
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We will follow your blog on our trip to Assisi this spring. Love your beautiful pictures and thorough guides for great photography spots.
Thank you for your kind words, Lan. Enjoy this gorgeous little town!