Guide to Assisi

'Processions of pilgrims, Roman roots and Renaissance art give this Umbrian gem a sense of hill town charm that fills even its least visited corners.'

Say the name Assisi and another name automatically accompanies it; St Francis. Born in Assisi to a wealthy family in the 1180s, Francis renounced riches and made it his life's work to rebuild the dilapidated old church of San Damiano, attracting a huge numbers of followers and founding the Franciscan Order along the way. Visit the town of Assisi now and you'd swear the spirit of the saint lives on. Surrounded by the rustic bounty of the gentle Umbrian countryside, the town is still visited by a surprisingly large number of the devout – making regular pilgrimages to the tomb of the saint. Of course, you don't have to be a pilgrim to appreciate the wonder of the Basilica di San Francesco where he's buried. It's a truly magnificent structure built in the high Gothic manner. Take time to admire the tracery of its pointed arches that shoot ever heavenwards. Ogle the vaulted ceilings covered in beautiful frescoes, the life of St Francis depicted on panels by non other than Giotto himself. And every bit as awe-inspiring is the Basilica di Santa Chiara which holds the tomb of Saint Clare, who was the constant companion of Francis and who founded the Order of Poor Clares. Beyond the two Basilicas, Assisi continues to please its visitors with another religious site – a Roman temple, its columns providing the focal point to the town's main square. There are also any number of interesting little streets that wend their way to surprising little piazzas full of shops and cafes, or cute courtyards with bright fountains making prisms in the sunlight. You can't help thinking Saint Francis and Saint Clare would enjoy spending time in latter-day Assisi!

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