What to See in Assisi: Basilica di San Francesco and Santa Chiara

Con Francesco – Immersive Experience

An immersive experience that, thanks to Virtual Reality, offers the opportunity to encounter the figure of the Saint directly, tracing his life and listening to his most universal

Walking Tour Assisi

A journey through spirituality and art, following in the footsteps of Saint Francis and Saint Clare.

Vista laterale della struttura dell'Eremo delle Carceri di Assisi.

The Eremo delle Carceri in Assisi

For Francis and his companions, it was a place of retreat, surrounded by nature, where they could devote themselves to meditation. Over time, the Hermitage of the Carceri has

Vista panoramica della Basilica di Santa Chiara ad Assisi. Dall'abitato spuntano l'imponente facciata della chiesa e il suo campanile. Sullo sfondo le campagne umbre.

The Basilica di Santa Chiara in Assisi

The second large Franciscan basilica in Assisi houses the remains of Saint Clare and the Crucifix of San Damiano, the same one that spoke to Saint Francis. From the square in

Vista ravvicinata della fontana dei 3 leoni di assisi. In primo piano un leone dalla cui bocca esce uno zampillo d'acqua. Dietro il leone le vasche della fontana e parte della piazza sul fondo.

Piazza del Comune in Assisi

The hub of the ancient, medieval and modern city, Piazza del Comune brings together buildings and monuments from different eras that coexist in perfect harmony. Here, life flows

Vista aerea panoramica della cattedrale di San Rufino. La chiesa spicca tra i tetti dell'abitato ed il verde circostante.

The Cattedrale di San Rufino in Assisi

Located in the highest part of the city, the Cathedral, dedicated to Bishop Rufino, is one of the most harmonious and evocative Romanesque churches in Umbria.

Vista panoramica della Rocca maggiore. Arroccata sul monte si erge imponente staccandosi dal verde dei boschi circostanti.

The Rocca of Assisi

The Rocca Maggiore and Rocca Minore dominate the skyline of Assisi, ancient medieval bastions that once guarded the city and are now fascinating monuments.

Vista panoramica della Basilica di San Francesco. La vista, frontale leggermente scorciata verso destra, della facciata della basilica superiore e del complesso circostante emerge dal verde degli alberi circostanti. Sullo sfondo le campagne umbre.

The Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi

The complex of the Basilica of St. Francis is the spiritual heart of Assisi and stands out as one of the most extraordinary historical and artistic complexes in the world, a

Vista della stradina di arrivo alla chiesa di San Damiano. La strada eè fiancheggiata da siepi, sullo sfondo è visibile la struttura.

San Damiano: the Home of Saint Clare

A small church with its convent forms an essential nucleus in the earthly story of Francis and Clare. It was in San Damiano that the Poverello began his journey of conversion and

The Porziuncola and Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi

The birthplace of Franciscanism and the setting for the conclusion of the earthly life of the Saint of Assisi, the Porziuncola and the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli combine

History and spirituality in the heart of Umbria

Assisi, nestled in the Umbrian countryside on the wooded slopes of Monte Subasio, is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the heart of a unique historical and cultural story. Visiting Assisi means being deeply touched by the presence of Saint Francis and by all that his life and message inspired. Entering the town from the west, one of the most common entrance, visitors are greeted by the architectural masterpiece of the Basilica di San Francesco, built on the site once known as the “Hill of Hell”, so called because, according to legend, executions were once carried out there. By declaring during his lifetime that he wished to be buried in that very place, Francis effectively indicated where the Basilica would rise, now standing proudly on what is today called the “Hill of Paradise”.

Fortresses, abbeys and cathedrals

Assisi appears as a characteristic fortified hill town, built upon Roman terraces, overlooking the Valle Umbra from the slopes of Monte Subasio. By the early thirteenth century, it had become a free commune with its own distinctive monuments, including the Rocca Maggiore, the Cattedrale di San Rufino in Umbrian Romanesque style (13th century) and the Abbazia di San Pietro, dating back to the 12th century, once the church of a Benedictine monastery located outside the city walls. Until 1035, the city’s cathedral was Santa Maria Maggiore, built between the 8th and 9th centuries on the remains of a Roman domus. Today, the relics of Saint Carlo Acutis rest within this church.

From Roman times to the Middle Ages, between art and nature

The demographic and social growth of Assisi led to an expansion of the city walls between 1260 and 1316. During this period, the Basilica Inferiore e Superiore di San Francesco were adorned with their celebrated fresco cycles, masterpieces by the first great masters of Italian painting: Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti. At the opposite end of the town, between 1257 and 1265, the Church of Saint Clare was erected to house the body of the Saint and the community of the Poor Clares. In the 13^th century, Town Hall Square regained the central role it had once held in Roman times, when it was the town’s forum. The Tempio di Minerva, which still dominates the square in perfect preservation, became the seat of the city magistrates in 1212. The Franciscan memory that pervades the town naturally extends beyond its walls to nearby sacred places such as the Eremo delle Carceri, the Church of San Damiano, the Sanctuary di Rivotorto, and the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli, which houses the Porziuncola within. Next to Basilica di San Francesco, the Bosco di San Francesco descends towards the valley — a landscape of woods, meadows, olive groves and cultivated fields, preserved and cared for by the FAI – Italian National Trust. Exploring the area of Assisi, both in the town and its surrounding countryside, evokes the timeless relevance of the Franciscan message: one that still today inspires personal reflection and a deep sense of communion with nature.

Assisi

Assisi