What is Assisi known for?

Inscribed in 2000 for the basilicas, the medieval centre and the Franciscan sites that shaped Italian painting between 1280 and 1320. Born here in 1182 and 1194, founders of the Franciscan and Poor Clare orders; their relics anchor the two ends of town. September 1997 quakes brought down part of the upper basilica's vault; the church reopened in under two years.

When is the best time to visit Assisi?

Apr–Oct. April through June and September into October are the months Assisi was built for. The hills around Monte Subasio turn green in spring and gold in autumn, and the pilgrim traffic spreads thinly enough that the centro storico keeps its silence in the early morning. October 3 and 4 are the Festa di San Francesco, when delegations from every Italian region process to the basilica. July and August are hot and crowded; the squares thin out between two and five in the afternoon. Calendimaggio, the medieval pageant between the Parte de Sopra and Parte de Sotto, runs the first week of May. November through March is quiet, with shortened basilica hours and clear days that show Perugia across the valley.

Assisi is a comune in the province of Perugia, Umbria region of Italy, about 27 kilometers from Perugia.

How do I get to Assisi?

From Perugia, Assisi is roughly 27 km by road.

Umbria · Perugia

Assisi

A pink limestone town on the western flank of Monte Subasio, the birthplace of Francis and a UNESCO site since 2000.

Known for

UNESCO 2000
Inscribed in 2000 for the basilicas, the medieval centre and the Franciscan sites that shaped Italian painting between 1280 and 1320.
FRANCIS AND CLARE
Born here in 1182 and 1194, founders of the Franciscan and Poor Clare orders; their relics anchor the two ends of town.
1997 EARTHQUAKE
September 1997 quakes brought down part of the upper basilica's vault; the church reopened in under two years.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

The festa: Rufino di Assisi, 12 August

Why come

Assisi sits on a terraced spur of Monte Subasio, twenty kilometers east of Perugia. The Umbri built here before the Romans came; the municipium of Asisium grew up around what is now Piazza del Comune, where the Tempio di Minerva, erected around 30 BC with six Corinthian columns, still fronts the square as one of the best-preserved Roman temple façades in Italy. Francis was born here in 1182 and Clare in 1194, and the basilicas that hold their relics anchor the two ends of the medieval centro storico.

The Basilica di San Francesco, begun in 1228 and frescoed across the next century by Cimabue, Pietro Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Giotto, became one of the foundational sites of Italian painting. UNESCO inscribed the whole ensemble in 2000, three years after the September 1997 earthquakes brought down part of the upper basilica's vault and killed four people inside. The town reopened the basilica in less than two years and has lived with pilgrim traffic ever since.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Assisi’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

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What to see

Basilica di San Francesco
Two superimposed churches begun in 1228 over the saint's tomb, frescoed by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti.
Basilica di Santa Chiara
Thirteenth-century church at the eastern end of the centro storico, holding the relics of Saint Clare and the San Damiano Crucifix.
Tempio di Minerva
Augustan temple on Piazza del Comune from around 30 BC, six Corinthian columns intact, converted to a church in 1539.
Rocca Maggiore
Fortress above the town first recorded in 1174, rebuilt by Cardinal Albornoz in 1367, with a panoramic walk along the Tescio valley.
Santa Maria degli Angeli e Porziuncola
Basilica in the plain below the town, built around the small chapel where Francis founded the Franciscan order and died in 1226.
Eremo delle Carceri
Hermitage four kilometers up Monte Subasio in a beech wood, the caves where Francis and his companions retreated to pray.

The slow-trip planner

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Living here

Population 27,605
Commuter belti
Pharmacy in town
High school within a 30-minute drive
Train station in the comune
Nearest airport Ancona / Pescara, 1 h 46 min drive
Regional capital Perugia, 33 min drive

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

The numbers

Elevation: 424 m
Population: 27,605
Surface area: 187.19 km²

On the map

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These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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