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By car
Take the A1 freeway and exit at the SS75. Follow the signs to historical Assisi and park in one of the public lots just outside the city walls.
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By train
You'll have to take a local connection at Terontola (coming from Florence) or Foligno (coming from Rome) to Assisi/Santa Maria degli Angeli. The Assisi station is at the bottom of the hill, about three miles from the center of town. Bus line "C" (ASSISI - P.ZZA MATTEOTTI-FS-P.ZZA GARIBALDI) will take you the rest of the way.
You cannot buy the bus line "C" tickets on the bus. You have to buy them from the Tabacchi store in the Assisi train station. Although you can buy the ticket for the trip back to the train station in Assisi itself, we found it easier to buy two tickets at the Tabacchi store in the train station....using one ticket for the trip up and the other trip back.
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Historical Assisi is very small and easily explored on foot. But go slowly, or the hilly streets will put you out of breath before you know it. During the hotter summer months take an occasional rest in one of the cool churches or enjoy an icecream break (or two). It is advisable to begin your tour at the top of the town (which is the oldest part), so you can enjoy the city going down the hill.
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Definitely take the time to walk among Assisi's medieval houses and shops. Most of the cobblestone streets and alleys will take you to the basilica of St. Francis. Please be quiet as you visit this multi-level structure as it still is a place of prayer for many. It's a good idea to rent the audio guide to appreciate the artistic and historical significance of this unique church. The walls and ceilings of the upper church are embellished with frescoes of the Giotto school; the lower sanctuary contains the tomb of St. Francis [http://www.franciscanfriarstor.com/stfrancis/stf_tomb_of_st_francis.htm].
There are many things to see and experience in Assisi and sadly many times the usual visitor stays just for a couple of hours or for the morning. If you are only capable of a short visit these are the things you must see:
*Starting at Piazza Matteotti cross the street and go down towards San Rufino Cathedral, that has probably the most beautiful façade of all the churches in town. If you have some time to spare visit the museum.
*Following Via San Rufino (walking down in front of the Cathedral) you arrive to Piazza del Comune, the center of the town. There is a small fountain known as the "lions fountain". There are two main attractions on the Piazza: the "Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo" with the clock tower and the beautiful church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (St. Mary over Minerva), with its impresive roman columns. Assisi, being an old roman town, had its own temple dedicated to Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. With the arrival of Christianity the temple was transformed into a Catholic Church and the Virgin Mary was promoted above pagan wisdom. The church was completely remodeled in the early 1990's and stands in stark contrast to the exterior. In Piazza del Comune you find also the Tourist Information Center.
*From the "Lions Fountain" find the street called "Corso Mazzini". Here you will find many interesting shops of all sorts. At the end of the street you'll find and archway and after that you will see the lovely St. Claire's Basilica, where the original crucifix, that spoke to Saint Francis, is found. There is a lovely piazza in front of the Church, with wonderful views of the valley. Morning and Evening prayer is beautiful here, with the choir of cloistered Poor Clare nuns singing.
*Re-tracing your steps you can go back to Piazza del Comune, passing on your left a little street that takes you to "Chiesa Nuova", a very spiritual little church built over to what is said to be Francis' original home.
*From Piazza del Comune you have two options to reach Saint Francis' Basilica:
*a) the street to your right is "Via San Paolo", and it will eventually lead you to the Basilica. This is a slightly longer way to get there and not so crowded, sometimes there is no one around, even on busy days! After you walk a little on Via San Paolo turn to your left when you see some steps and a fresco on the wall, follow the steps down until you get to the small church of St. Stephen (Santo Stefano). This is a real jewel, not known to many and skipped by the majority of "running pilgrims". Even if for 5 minutes it is a must see.
*b) the street to your left from Piazza del Comune is called "Via Portica". This is the usual and shorter way to go to the Basilica of Saint Francis. There are plenty of shops. On your left you will eventually find the Metastasio theater, with an continual exhibit about St. Clare. After a short while you pass an archway and arrive to "Via San Francesco". A little walk and to your left you will see a little chapel called the "Oratorio dei Pellegrini" (the Pilgrim's Chapel). It only opens for a few hours during the day when it is open there is almost always Eucharistic adoration. Inside this room you will find some of the most beautiful frescos of the town. In this same street to your right you can find some very interesting museums.
*At the end of the street you will find the Basilica of St. Francis, with everything to discover. Start at the upper Basilica. Make sure you make it to the lower church and down the stairs to the Tomb of Saint Francis. This is one of the most spiritually powerful places in Assisi.
*When you finish your visit of the Basilica you will exit on the lower part, in front of Piazza San Francesco. Walk down the Piazza, cross the archway and walk down Via Frante Elia. When you arrive to the bottom of the street to your left you will see a big Church, San Pietro. This is another "must see" of the city that is many times ignored. Differently to other churches in town, the interior is more beautiful than the exterior.
*After your visit cross "St Peters Gate" and you will find a big parking lot and a bus stop. If you left your car at the top (Matteotti) you can take a bus back, or if not you can catch a bus to the bus station.
Assisi offers many other things to see and do. If you have more time, these are some hints:
*San Damiano - not in the city centre but easily accessible from Porta Nuova, near St. Clare's Basilica. This is one of the most "franciscan" places in town and it is definitely worth the small detour from the centre. If you are staying in for some days they have a lovely 7h30 am morning mass, with beautiful music.
*Santa Maria Maggiore Church - near "Piazza del Vescovado", in a little hidden angle of the town, a beautiful well kept Church (don't be cheated by its unassuming façade). Going down the hill a little look for the monastery of St Quirico - early in the morning and at 6 pm the Poor Clare nuns have morning and evening prayer - differently to the Poor Clares in Sta Chiara (who are hidden from view), you can actually see the sisters during prayers and at the end even exchange a couple of words.
*Oratorio San Francesco Piccolino - from Corso Mazzini you follow some little steps and arrive to a very little chapel where the legend says Francis was actually born.
*Rocca Maggiore - a lovely site with wonderful views. A good climb so be prepared for a walk. The structure has been recently done up and besides the wonderful arquitecture and the views you can also see an exhibition based on the Calendimaggio, the spring festival of the city.
*On the "back" of Piazza del Comune you can, if you have some time to spare, you can find a lovely and basically unknown area of the town, with beautiful houses, lovely views, some shrines for Our Lady and one or two cats having a nap. Look for the not consacrated Church of Sta Maria delle Rose.
*Eremo delle Carceri.
*Church of Santa Margherita - among the little streets infront of St Francis Basilica. You have lovely views of the Basilica from the small Piazza.
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The basilica of St. Francis, completed in 1253, is only one of many beautiful churches in Assisi. The cathedral of San Rufino, the basilica of Santa Chiara, and the Chiesa Nuova are also worth a visit. Take the time to hike up to the top of the hill above Assisi and explore the castle - "La Rocca" - where Frederick Barbarossa spent his childhood. From here you can overlook the town and the valley below. Visit the tiny church of St. Stefano, go up a few stairs, and look back downwards for the most picturesque spot of this beautiful little town.
The little church of San Damiano is located outside the walls of the city, halfway down the hill. According to the saint's biographers, it was here that St. Francis received his message "to rebuild the church."
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The many shops display a variety of local arts and crafts, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics and reproductions of medieval weapons and tools. Embroidery and chocolate manufacuring are also typical of the area. Religious items are best purchased at the gift shop behind the lower level of St. Francis basilica. Don't let the shop keepers "over - price" you...!
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In Assisi:
*Trattoria degli Umbri. Simple home style recently renovated restaurant, central location. Piazza del comune 40, closed Thu. Tel 075 812455
*Il Baccanale, Assisi centre, Via del Comune vecchio 2, near the Piazza Matteotti parking lot. A beautiful wine shop offering wines from all over Italy, exotic coffee, sweets and preserves.
*I monaci - near Teatro Metastasio
*Osteria Otello - infront of Chiesa Nuova - good prices.
*Finnegans Pub - infront of Piazza Matteoti, very nice pizza, good prices.
*Paradiso - on the road to San Damiano. Nice to seat out in the summer.
In Santa Maria degli Angeli:
*Ristorante Basilica, reliable family business well known among locals, delicious fried appetizer, pizza available for dinner. Via Protomartiri Francescani 11, opposite the apse of church, closed Tue. Tel. 0758044491,.
*Terra Umbra, the best gourmet shop for all Umbrian foods. Offers olive oil tasting, chocolate, cheese, cured meats, truffles. Pick up your picnic stuff here. Via Patrono d’Italia 10.
*Tavola Rotonda - a really "local" place, quite full all year around. In a small back street near the Farmacia Comunale.
In town you find several little ice cream and pizza shops, you need to look around for quality.
Nearby:
Wine tasting
*The Sportoletti winery offers lovely reds, a basic Assisi Rosso and their famous Villa Fidelia. It’s on the way from Assisi to Spello through the hamlets of Viole and Capitan Loreto Mon-Sat. 8:00-13:00 14:30-17:30
For an authentic experience of Italian home food contact Alla Madonna del Piatto cooking school http://www.incampagna.com/incampagnaENGL/Cooking_Classes.html
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Wine tasting
TILI VINI WINERY is an historical and family Organic winery on the panoramic road for the near city of Spello.
There you can taste the typical ASSISI DOC wines,of which they are the founders, and also their Extra Virgin Olive Oil with local cheese and salami. You can contact them to info@tilivini.com and for more info click here [http://www.tilivini.com/].
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small,intimate B&B, all rooms with splendid views, fun hands-on cooking classes, quiet surroundings.
*The C bus from the Assisi train station stops at the Porta de San Pietro parking lot. Hotel Berti is located just inside the city walls to the left (despite this, it is not at all noisy at the hotel). From Hotel Berti, it's just 200 yards to the Basilica of St Francis.
* Vacation rental apartments in historic stone farmhouse.
* Casa Rosa (self-catering apartments in the country) [url=http://www.casa-rosa.it/].]Tel:+39 075802322
* Country House San Potente consists of a villa where there are six rooms on two floors. Two of the six apartments are on the first floor, and there is a small but cozy common room. The ground floor is the reception, while in the park is the Town House, recently built, with two of its four apartments suitable for persons with disabilities.
*Grand Hotel Assisi. The hotel has 150 rooms and 6 suites. They are all equipped with air conditioning, satellite TV, mini-bar, and telephone with through line for fax and personal computers and a cable link to the hotel's congress centre, allowing guests to watch live broadcasts of conference events filmed by closed circuit television.
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* Magic Umbria Assisi [url=http://www.magic-umbria.com/apartments_in_Assisi-3[/url]]Phone: +39 0743 420130 mail: [mailto:info@magic-umbria.com info@magic-umbria.com[/url] A selection of houses and apartments for holiday rentals.
* Roma Hotel Assisi - Piazza Santa Chiara n°13/15 - 06081 Assisi, Perugia, Italy [http://www.assisihotelroma.com/] • Telephone +39 075 812390 • Fax + 39 075 816743. Three star hotel with single, double, twin, triple and quadruple rooms, with private bath, shower, flat satellite TV and free Wi-Fi access. Double and twin rooms starting from 48 Euros. The breakfast is not included.
*Beautiful Villa at the heart of a nine hectare olive grove;2 self-catering apartments, 1 Suite with a view, pool, garden, orchard and vegetable garden, olive oil tasting.
*Lovely traditional building. Airy rooms.
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Santa Maria degli Angeli at the bottom of the hill - where the train station is. Visit the Basilica containing the Porziuncola, the tiny stone home of St. Francis and his followers, where the Saint died.
Walk (or take a taxi or drive) the 4 km to Eremo delle Carceri, an hermitage in a steep mountaing gorge east of Assisi, where St Francis came to pray and contemplate in the 13th century.
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