Discovering the municipalities in the Park

Assisi
Immersed in the green heart of Mount Subasio, amidst nature, colours and light effects, the “spiritual town” is an authentic cultural landscape waiting to be discovered.
The entire historic town centre stands within the Park and features the natural, historic and cultural aspects to the extent that the Protected Natural Area could just as well be called “Park of Assisi”.
The town is built of pink stone from Mount Subasio and has a highly specific geomorphological, wildlife and plant balance. In fact, in the past it drew every resource from the environment of the current park: stone materials, timber, pasture products and numerous water springs.
Asisium, Umbrian acropolis and then a major Roman municipium, began to reveal its structure on the Roman settlement with its sloped terraces, the Piazza del Foro (which can be visited today together with two Roman domus) at which the main roads came to an end, and continues to be overlooked by the Temple of Minerva.

In the early Middle Ages, the inhabited units within the walled town were built on pre-existing, ancient areas, dating to before the 11th century, with the first buildings of worship, the remains of which can be found in the crypt of the Cathedral of St. Rufino and the Santuario della Spogliazione (Sanctuary of Spoliation in Santa Maria Maggiore).
However, Assisi is well-known globally for being the place in which Francis and Clare were born, for being the cradle of the Franciscan Movement, the town of Peace and Goodwill. Here rises the Basilica of St. Francis with frescoes by Giotto, Simone Martini and Cimabue, the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the Sanctuaries of Rivotorto and San Damiano, the Eremo delle Carceri, the Abbey of San Pietro.
In the year 2000, UNESCO nominated Assisi, the Basilica of St Francis and other Franciscan venues a World Heritage Site.

Spello
The visitor is struck by this idyllic town of pink stone nestling on the south-west flank of Mount Subasio. Its ancient Umbrian origins have been embellished over the centuries with some extraordinary works: its imposing Roman gates (Porta Urbica, Consolare and Venere), its extraordinary mediaeval walls and typical road layout, the superb frescoes by Pinturicchio (Cappella Bella) and by Perugino (Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore), and the elegant, eighteenth century theatre, the Teatro Subasio.
There are some places that are really worth a special visit: Villa Fidelia with its splendid gardens, Santa Maria di Vico known as Chiesa Tonda, Villa dei Mosaici in Spello, the Complex of San Girolamo, the Hermitage of San Silvestro and the mediaeval castles of Collepino and San Giovanni.

Nature, the landscape and the breathtaking views lead you along the paths and sacred roads that encourage a slow pace of life and renewed spirituality: the Ring of the Roman Aqueduct, the Path of the Olive Groves, the little Road of Assisi and the Saint Francis Way.
However, Spello is also the town of flowers and of the Infiorata del Corpus Domini (Corpus Christ Flower Festival): carpets and pictures made with millions of petals decorate the narrow streets and piazzas to create a continuum with the annual floral shows of “Flowering Windows, Streets and Balconies”
To really complete your stay in Spello and immerse yourself in its magical atmosphere, you have to taste the gastronomic specialities prepared with local products with a zero footprint.

Nocera Umbra
An area packed with history with the first historic artefacts dating back to the Early Palaeolithic period, with mountain and upland settlements along the many river valleys.
Nocera is a name of ancient Umbrian origin and comes from Noudria, meaning new construction. The area flourished under the Romans thanks to its location along the consular Flaminia road, a major artery linking Rome and Rimini.
In the 5th century AD, it became a diocese and from then on was subjected to various raids due also to its strategic position. The most significant raid for the town of Nocera was around 570 AD by the Longobards that led to a merger with the autochthonous population.
In the late 19th century, one of the largest Longobard necropoli in Italy was found by chance. It was richly endowed with numerous funerary accoutrements, the majority of which are currently on display in the National Museum of the Early Middle Ages in Rome.
However, all the archeological material from Nocera and the archeological sites in the area is displayed in the Archeological Museum and Documentation Centre.
The Franciscan community has had deep roots in this area since the order was approved, thanks not only to its close proximity to Assisi, but also to the figure of St. Francis, who often visited the numerous springs around Nocera with their curative properties.
The community’s emblem is the majestic Church of St. Francis, today home to the Civic Art Gallery with numerous frescoes and works from various churches.
Destroyed by various raids and earthquakes, the town still displays its concentric structure, where the central nucleus holds the keep, a very tall, mediaeval tower remaining from the 11th century fortress, symbol of the Conti family’s power. Next to the tower stands the cathedral dedicated to Maria Assunta.
Abundant nature and impressive landscapes are the major features that attract mindful, responsible tourists.

Valtopina
Valtopina stands behind Mount Subasio, along the consular Flaminia road, between Foligno and Nocera Umbra in the valley, through which the River Topino flows and which gives it its name.
It boasts thousands of years of history and dates way back to the pre-Roman period. However, the historic and cultural identity of the community only began to develop after the construction of the Via Flaminia (approximately the 3rd century BC), when Valtopina’s position turned it into a strategic node of communication and exchange.
There is a great deal of evidence and remains from the Roman period, between Pieve Fanonica, with traces of a viaduct built during the Augustan Age, and Ponte Rio, where the imposing wall from the Hadrian era remains. Over the centuries, the town took on a hegemonic role over the entire territory and flourished for centuries, during which castles, monasteries and villages were built during the Middle Ages. Among the fortifications that are still thriving and operational, are the Castle of Poggio (11th century) and the Castle of Gallano (12th century) with its mediaeval village.
Not to be missed is the Church of Santa Cristina (13th century), built with stones from the Castle of Poggio.
Nowadays, Valtopina is a busy little town surrounded by a natural landscape packed with resources, all for you to discover. It boasts some tiny, fascinating villages, such as Sasso and Giove.
Don’t miss the Town Hall (Palazzo Comunale), the lordly residence (early 20th century) that houses the Museum of Embroidery and Textiles of Valtopina (where for years they organised the renowned “Exhibition of Embrodiery and Textiles”), as well as the Church of San Pietro Apostolo at the entrance to the town.
Among the local products from the area around Valtopina is the very precious black truffle that grows here naturally, thanks to the special environmental conditions, and that for over forty years is displayed at its best during the famous “Exhibition and Market of the Truffle of Valtopina”, the major showcase for the whole of Umbria.