Trip Assisi Italy

Assisi is best known as the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi — patron saint of Italy, founder of the Franciscan order, and one of the most popular Catholic saints in history. Assisi's main attraction is the 13th-century Basilica di San Francesco, which contains the sacred relics of Francis and beautiful frescoes of his life.

    Assisi is a small town in central Italy, located in the heart of Umbria, Assisi is the perfect base for visiting the magnificent and historical towns and villages in the spectacular and panoramic countryside.
We made a stop here during the trip between Rome and Florence.

    The town of Assisi, with its Roman ruins, winding medieval streets and sacred shrines, has been a major Catholic pilgrimage destination for centuries and is today one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy.

    The town's welcoming Main Square is an inviting place to relax. Assisi has long been a spiritual center. The main drag leads from the town center to the basilica, which holds the much-venerated body of St. Francis.

   A trip to Assisi shows Francis' message of love and care for creation has a broad and timeless appeal. Travelers like us become pilgrims of a sort as we explore the town, remember Italy's patron saint and of course the restaurant keep our body happy.

    Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi.
Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi is a rather incongruous memorial to a man who preached and lived a simple life of poverty, abstinence, and renunciation of worldly goods in search of greater spirituality.
There are at least seven other churches well worth visiting for their history, beauty, and connection with Francis or his friend Clare.

    Brother Francis died in Assisi on October 3, 1226. On March 29, 1228, a site for the church was donated to the Pope by Simone di Pucciarello. Located outside the Assisi city walls on the western tip of Asio hill, the land had formerly been used for state executions and was accordingly known as the "Hill of Hell." A month later, Pope Gregory IX granted an indulgence of 40 days out of purgatory to all who contributed donations and work to the new church.

    The Basilica of St. Francis is made of two main levels, the upper church (basilica superiore) and the lower church (basilica inferiore), plus a small underground crypt housing the tomb of the saint.

Lower Church
    The lower church was built first and contains the papal High Altar under which St. Francis was buried. It can be entered from stairs inside the church or via a Gothic portal on the Piazza Inferiore.

Upper Church
    Completed in 1280, the upper church is a striking contrast to its downstairs neighbor. The interior is a magnificent example of Italian Gothic: light-filled, airy, joyful, and alive with color.

    There was an exhibition while we visit the basilica. Muro del Tempio di Gerusalemme “ÉNKYKLIOS”

Muro del Tempio di Gerusalemme “ÉNKYKLIOS”
    We left Assisi for Florence and we still have plenty of energy because we have great Italian pizza (with anchovy???!!) in town.