A trip to Assisi

Believe it or not, Assisi is only 100 kilometres from La Chiesa di Santo Stefano – maybe an hour and a half of driving, and so easy for a day trip. And the scenery along the way is stunning.

We made the trip this week, and it was well worth it. Not just for the famous sites, but for the whole town - which is beautifully preserved.

Starting with the obvious, though, the churches are quite superb. We found a car park above the town – and the first place we stumbled upon more by accident than by design (not having – as yet – bought a guide book) was the Cathedral di San Rufino. The cathedral itself was interesting but not that memorable in my opinion, but the crypt and the museum have been well designed with particularly effective lighting. As we were the only people in there (perhaps a bit early in the season) it was very atmospheric. We’re not big museum goers, to be honest, but the style in which it had been created and some of the paintings made it worthwhile.

Of course, the star of the show was the Basilica di San Francesco. Even in April, though, it was very busy indeed. Hoards of school parties and people talking quite loudly (despite gentle reminders of ‘Silenzio’ over the speakers) ensured that any real atmosphere was lost. Despite this, when we saw an entrance to St Francis’s tomb, we decided ‘Oh, whilst we’re here we may as well’. The door was well hidden at the back of the Basilica, and could easily have been missed. That would have been a real shame! Down on the lower level there were fewer people, less noise, and some incredible frescoes. And it was so much more than a tomb – it was in fact the ‘Lower Church’ (we still hadn’t read the guide book!).

A separate stairway from this lower level led down to the tomb itself – another journey worth making. A smattering of nuns and monks were there – perhaps on a pilgrimage – but at last there was a sense of respect and a genuine atmosphere.

And then back out into the sunshine to explore the rest of the town – in itself a real jewel of an Italian “città”. Steep and narrow cobbled streets lead from the Basilica up to the main piazza, but from here there are little lanes going in all directions. And along each lane, you can glance up small alleyways and get a glimpse of what life in the town must have been like before the invasion of tourists. Even the shops are more interesting that the average tourist shops of Umbria and Tuscany (although you don’t find many in Le Marche, it has to be said).

A relaxing lunch in the early April sunshine was, of course, a necessity. We took the trouble to find a little taverna off the beaten track – one that didn’t have a tourist menu – and the quality of the food was excellent.

Finally, fortified by a couple of glasses of the local wine and some delicious pasta, we made our way up to the Rocca Maggiore – an old fort with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. I have to admit that we didn’t venture inside, but it was worth the hike up the hill just for the panorama – and in particular the view down onto Assisi itself.

For visitors to Le Marche, particularly those who are on the mountain side rather than close to the coast, I would say that this is a trip well worth taking, especially if you are visiting outside the main tourist periods of July and August. Just one tip – wear comfortable shoes! Cobbled streets and steep slopes don’t really work well with sandals or flip flops!