Assisi is without a doubt best known for its spiritual side.
Famous for being the birthplace of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, the town is imbued with a mystical, evocative atmosphere that can be felt in every corner and every narrow street that passes through it.
Churches, basilicas, abbeys, hermitages and sanctuaries: sacred places, but also architectural masterpieces that hold magnificent works of art created by the genius of artists such as Giotto and Cimabue.
The Basilica of Saint Francis holds the remains of Saint Francis and is located in the historic center of Assisi. Inside it has works by great artists such as Cimabue and Giotto.
The Papal Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Porziuncola houses within it the small church where Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor.
The Basilica of Saint Clare holds the Saint Clare’s remains and was built over the foundations of the Church of San Giorgio, another building connected with her life.
This ancient building, which holds the remains of St. Rufinus, dates from the 8th century. In 1029 the bishop granted it the title of cathedral.
The Abbey of San Pietro is a sober building with a nave and side aisles that stands out for its elegant Romanesque architecture and its Gothic tombs.
The Chiesa Nuova is considered the house of Saint Francis’s parents and a rare example of 17th-century religious architecture in Assisi.
The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is the place where Saint Francis renounced his earthly goods before his father and the bishop.
The Sanctuary of San Damiano is the place where Saint Clare and Saint Francis experienced some of the important moments of their consecrated life.
The Sanctuary of Rivotorto is an imposing building built to incorporate within it the Sacred Hovel of Saint Francis.
The Eremo delle Carceri is surrounded by a series of natural caves and grottoes used as a refuge by hermits.
The Abbey of San Benedetto is an excellent example of Romanesque architecture and was depicted in a fresco by Giotto.
The Church of Santo Stefano is a Romanesque building dating from 1166 and is made from the white stone of Mt. Subasio.
The church was built in the 11th century close to the dilapidated medieval city walls, hence its name of San Giacomo de Murorupto (“St. James of the Broken Wall”).
The Church of Santa Maria delle Rose is built over the remains of an ancient pagan temple and has very old origins, as can be seen from the early medieval friezes.
