Explore Italy: Assisi

Just another absolutely stunning small town with important religious history perched on the rolling hills of Umbria. It’s a beautiful place for a stroll, not too big and not too small, with plenty to see but not so much you need an agenda.

Assisi in a nutshell

Location: Umbria, Italy

Best known for: A UNESCO world heritage site, Assisi is the birth place of San Francesco, one of Italy’s patron saints and founder of the Franciscan order, and Santa Chiara Offreduccio. Assisi is an important pilgrimage city for the Catholic faith.

Days needed to explore: 1+

What to see and do:

13th century two level Basilica Papale e Sacro Covento di San Francesco, overlooking Piazza Inferiore di San Francesco
Rocca Maggiore - a medieval fortress hovering over Assisi
Many churches with stunning art, including: Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, La Cattedrale di San Rufino, Basilica di Santa Maria, Chiesa Nuova, San Damiano, Santa Maria degli Angeli

Established: circa 1000 BC by the Umbrians, thought to be some of the oldest inhabitants of Italy. Assisi was taken under Roman rule in 295 BC, later under papal jurisdiction and ruled by despots, occupied by Nazi Germany while hiding Jews, to today, a major pilgrimage spot for many.

Typical foods to try:

Rocciata - a strudel like pastry filled with walnuts, apple, and dried fruit
Umbricelli al Rancetto - thicker, spaghetti-like pasta with a tomato based pork sauce with marjoram. Umbricelli is called pici in Tuscany, or strangozzi, ciriole, or lombrichelli in other areas
Stringhozzi al tartufo di Norcia - a pasta dish made with fresh long pasta, similar to fettuccine, topped with regional black truffles
Piccione alla Ghiotta - a tipical dish featuring pigeon, for the more adventurous fellows
Torta al Testo - flatbread filled with delicacies of the region for a tasty and very Umbrian sandwich
Olio d’Oliva di Umbria - look for the Umbrian olive oil with the DOP certification, specifically the “Colli Assisi Spoleto” which has 60% of the Moraiolo variety of olives, and the remaining 30% either Frantoio or Leccino
Prosciutto di Norcia IGP - the cold cut of the region
Corallina Umbra - a typical cold cut of Umbria, made with lean meat and chunks of fat

Why I like Assisi

Assisi is hard to forget with its hilly terrain, stunning church, and large piazza overlooking the valley. Part of the reason I like Assisi so well is because I didn’t plan or choose to go there, I was taken there by an Italian family and shown around.

When one of my dearest friends and I went on a trip to Europe together, one of our stops was to stay in Camucia with her old host family for a weekend. She had gone over as an au pair to help their son learn English. I had heard so many wonderful stories of them, and they were such kind and wonderful hosts. One of their treats to us was to take us around to see some different cities, including Cortona which is very close to Camucia, as well as Gubbio and Assisi. When your hosts are chattering away in Italian and you and your friend don’t speak much of the language, a lot of nodding and laughing and going along with the flow ensues. Being toted around by an Italian family to see Italian sights is not a bad way to do it. I also highly recommend going to a restaurant with an Italian family and letting them order for you, especially when they order an assortment of appetizers and such so you can get a taste of all the typical food. Well, I think I chose my main course, and remember the dad choosing a truffle pasta for his (probably the stringhozzi al tartufo!), and thinking maybe I should have gotten that, too. Trufflesssss, buonoooo.

We were at the Piazza Inferiore di San Francesco at sunset, and it was a picture-perfect sunset with brilliant hues of pink, purple, and orange; a fairytale moment, really. I took pictures, as was everyone else with a sunset like that! But pictures don’t do justice, they never do.

Assisi was a picture perfect evening of strolling around, seeing all the beautiful and important churches, eating good food, watching an unforgettable sunset, and spending time with new and old friends. It was very relaxing being able to follow along. I normally am the planner and organizer for trips, making sure we see and do and eat everything that there is. This often can leave me feeling a bit stressed to do all the research, afraid I might miss something important or cool. Not having to do this, and in fact not having much say in the destination, was refreshingly freeing. Leaving it in the hands of some locals was a great way to see Assisi!