5 Gratifying Things to Do in Assisi, Italy

Oh, Assisi.  There are not a whole lot of things to do in Assisi, but it’s a beautiful town that is worth a visit (and at least a night or two) on a trip to the Italian hill towns!  Personally, I find it to have more of a spiritual feel than some other well-known pilgrimage sites.  I attribute this to the fact that they really try to limit photography and tacky tourist behavior in the main sites.  When you couple that with a relaxing spa experience, Assisi can be quite a rejuvenating experience.  Whether you visit as a day trip from Borgo dei Conti or stay a night or two (I recommend the latter), there are certainly a few gems that should not be missed in this beautiful Umbrian town!  Here are a few travel tips for making the most of your experience in Assisi.

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Is Assisi Worth Visiting?  Yes.

(Introduction to Assisi from Alex, a native resident of this beautiful city, at Italy Aroma)

Inebriating and lively in the spring, powerful and passionate in the summer, full of spirituality in the autumn, mystical and evocative in thew winter, Assisi is the ideal destination for any season. At the foot of Monte Subasio, Assisi has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000 and boasts a dynamic but unchanged beauty, with intense aromas and colors.

Visiting Assisi means discovering the ancient past of Roman times. It allows you the opportunity to explore the holy places related to St. Francis and St. Clare. It offers picturesque walking and cycling trails through pilgrimage routes, where you will be immersed in nature. It offers the chance to taste incredible Umbrian wines, delicious extra virgin olive oil and food still prepared according to the old customs and traditional recipes. Visiting Assisi also means taking part in its many fun and meaningful events throughout the year. Assisi is a special place.

History of Assisi

The history of Assisi goes back centuries.

Assisi’s Roman name was Asisium. Assisi began diplomatic relations with Rome in the 3rd century BC when it entered a treaty of cooperation by accepting to provide military contingents. In 90 BC it became a Roman Municipality. But, after 41 BC, part of its territory was confiscated and assigned to the nearby town of Spello. In those same years, Properzio, one of the best elegiac poets of the time, was born in Assisi.

Assisi’s prosperity under the Roman Empire is evident today not only in the remains of the Roman Forum but also in the Temple of Minerva (Santa Maria sopra Minvera is still available to visit!), the city walls, the Amphitheatre (in the top part of the town) and the Domus (Roman Domus of Palazzo Giampè and Casa Romana said to be Properzio’s).

The archaeological collection pertaining to the municipality is in the Museum of the Roman Forum, partly housed in the Crypt of San Nicolò, and also extends on the surface underneath the square until it reaches a room where it is possible to see the paved floor of the south area of the ancient Forum.

Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the town was occupied by the Goths and at a later time by the Lombards. At the beginning of the year 1000 AD, Assisi fought hard against Perugia, a Guelph commune, eventually reached a lasting peace with their neighbours.

Then, during the Middle Ages, Assisi became an independent municipality. Assisi arguably lived its most flourishing period between the XII and the XIII century. One of the main reasons for this was thanks to the monastic movements. Assisi’s most illustrious figure, Saint Francis, was born in this period in 1182. He would have a huge influence on every domain of the town’s life: religion, art and culture.

Art in Assisi

The artistic development of the town is strictly tied to the figure of St. Francis. Just two years after his death on the 16th of July 1228, Pope Gregorio IX came to Assisi to canonise Francesco as a Saint. The following day, he blessed the first stone and the building of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi and the Sacred Convent could begin. Those were eminent monuments which have dictated forever the building and historic development of the town of Assisi. Their construction and decoration also summoned the biggest Italian artists of the time. The Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, the Palazzo del Monte Frumentario and several gates were also built in this period. The painters at work were Cimabue, Giotto, the Maestro di San Francesco and that di Santa Chiara, Pisano and Lorenzetti.

There had been a period of calm following the peace with Perugia in 1000 AD but sadly this didn’t last. The feudal regime was at odds with the demands of the emerging classes and over this period, several signorie (powerful families) ruled the town, including the Signoria of  Gian Galeazzo Visconti, of the Montefeltro line, of Braccio Fortebraccio and of Francesco Sforza. There were cruel wars against the nearby towns and Assisi suffered several atrocious raids and devastations, eventually leading to a decline in the city’s prosperity.

In the early 1500s, Assisi once again came under the control of the Papacy when Pope Paolo II restored papal power on the town. Papal control lasted until 1464. Thereafter, the town seems to have enjoyed a period of relative stability. As is often the case, peace brought a new measure of prosperity with it. Over this period, many new buildings sprang up all over Assisi, including many of the palazzi that you see today.

It was only later, in the XIX century, that the town became part of the emerging Italian State, finally becoming part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy in 1860.

In its more recent history, Assisi has been struck by violent earthquakes including that in 1997, when its famous Basilica di San Francesco was damaged and a number of frescoes in the basilica’s vault were destroyed. Thanks to some excellent restoration work, it re-opened to the public just two years later, largely been returned to its former glory,

Today, Assisi is second only to Rome in terms of its importance as a pilgrimage site.

Things to Do in Assisi

Now that we’ve convinced you to visit, you might be wondering more about the Assisi sights to visit or the best way to see this beautiful city.

Guided Walking Tour of Assisi

Even if you only have one day in Assisi, Alessandra’s walking tour of Assisi absolutely needs to be the first thing one your list of things to do.  This three hour walking tour will take you from one end of town to the other and cover all the must-visit places in Assisi.  You will see the Roman ruins of Assisi’s colossuem and marvel at how they transported the stones to build it.  This tour teaches you more about the history of St. Francis and the Franciscan order, but she will also teach you about Saint Clare and the Poor Clares, a topic I knew nothing about before visiting Assisi.  The tour covers the three major basilicas (San Rufino, Chiesa Nuova, and Santa Chiara) that dot the main thoroughfares through town and ends with a tour of the Basilica of Saint Francis.  While I think the facade of St. Francis is beautiful, I also love the Basilica di Santa Chiara. (Don’t just visit Assisi and head to the basilica – there are a lot of truly beautiful churches to see!)

Obviously, you will spend the majority of the time in the basilica of St. Francis, visiting both the upper church and the lower church.  Alessandra does a great job sharing the history of Saint Francis and explaining how the basilica was rebuilt after the big earthquake.  There is no photography allowed inside so you can focus entirely on what is in front of you.  (Don’t be a jerk and take photos anyway.  There are rules for a reason and this makes you a very ugly tourist.  It’s also very disruptive to have the guards yelling about following the rules.  Don’t be a jerk.)

You will want to wear good walking shoes for this tour.  Assisi is still a hill town and parts of it can be quite steep.  The tour does make a stop for a short break near the Piazza del Comune.

Assisi Walking & Photography Tour

If you are visiting Assisi on a day when Alessandra’s tour isn’t offered, Alex offers his own walking tour of Assisi!  His tour is a photo walk, so you’ll be able to capture memories of your visit while also learning more about the history from a local!  While I haven’t taken his tour yet, I love the idea of it!  We love capturing our vacation memories through destination photo sessions because Tom is most definitely not an Instagram husband.

Self-Guided Assisi Walk

If you can’t make Alessandra’s walking tour or Alex’s walking and photography tour of Assisi part of your itinerary, you can download and listen to this walking tour of Assisi.  It covers much of the same path as the in-person tours and there is even a walking map of Assisi in the Rick Steves app, too.  You can also download a tour of Basilica di San Francesco.  FYI: All guides are required to use an audio guide in the basilica so as to not disturb other visitors.  It is genius.

I definitely prefer having guides, but I understand that the schedule can be hard to navigate for some travelers.  Our trip to Assisi was scheduled based on the tour availability, but I know that not everyone has that flexibility in their itinerary.  These audio guides are a great second option!  The book also includes the same information and map, but the audio guide is the way to go.  It makes sure that you look up and appreciate everything you are seeing!

Try Umbrian Food / Assisi Wine Tasting / Assisi Cooking Classes

If I am being honest, we didn’t expect Umbrian food to be that different from Tuscan food, just given the proximity of the region.  However, on our first night, we found the most delicious array of Umbrian choices at Il Baccanale.  Looking for a charcuterie board with bruschetta, traditional regional salamis and cheeses?  Check.  Want to try Torta al tesco, a traditional Umbria flatbread speciality?  Check.  (If you like cheese and prosciutto, this is for you.)  Prefer pasta with a wild boar ragu?  Check. This is also for you.  Ready to top off your meal with a regional red wine (Sagrantino) or chocolate mousse cake?  Il Baccanale offers all of these traditional Umbria dishes and more.  Aside from the food, the restaurant is located in the original Roman ruins of the city.  It’s cozy and service is friendly.

Wine Tastings in Assisi

That said, don’t just limit yourself to restaurants!  It is worth doing a traditional wine tasting tour in Assisi.  We’ve found that we really love Sagrantino.  It’s our wine of choice when staying at Borgo dei Conti.  Alex’s wine tasting pairs the wine with regional specialties and teaches you more about pairing wine and cheese.  You’ll also learn more about the medieval city and its traditions.

If you want to take a trip to the countryside, I highly recommend booking this wine and olive oil tasting near Assisi.  This family-run winery is such a fun way to spend an afternoon!  We enjoyed meeting with the family, learning more about the production of wine and olive oil, and sharing a meal as part of the tasting.  The flavors were so delightfully fresh.  You won’t need lunch or dinner after this meal!

We love taking cooking classes in Italy (and everywhere else) and I was excited to learn that you can take a cooking class in Assisi, too!  You’ll learn to make Umbrian bruschetta, two types of pasta and sauces, and top it off with a delicious tiramisu!  (I didn’t even like tiramisu until I learned to make it in Italy!)  Fun fact: This cooking class takes place in a traditional restaurant in Assisi!

Where to Stay in Assisi

After a full day wandering the hills of Assisi, you need to take a few minutes to recharge.  Even if you choose not to stay at the Nun Assisi Relais & Spa, you should consider booking a spa treatment during your time in Assisi.  (We loved staying here though; it turned us into spa hotel people!)  This property is actually a hotel, a spa, a museum and a restaurant!  If you can imagine (I couldn’t), the spa is built into the Roman ruins of Assisi!  Throughout the saunas, the steam rooms, the ice room, and the pools, there are placards where you can read more about the history of the spa.

The staff does a great job showing you how best to use the spa and take advantage of vitality spa experience by spending time each of the rooms.  There is truly a method to the madness (it’s called the Nun Spa Path) and it will leave you toxin-free and feeling incredibly rejuvenated.  The massage pool is a treasure hunt; push every button you find.  There are jets all of the pool to treat different areas with varying intensity.

We used the spa quite frequently during our stay in Assisi.  We found it to be a relaxing way to recover from the walking we do on vacation.  I also booked a massage to release the tension in my hip and lower back.  It was a good experience. If massage isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy the vitality spa just as much.  The varying temperatures, humidity levels, and jets in the pools allow tension to leave your body in different ways.  We would spend a little bit of time at the spa in the morning and at the end of the day.

Side note:  I don’t take many (if any) pictures at spas. I feel like it disrupts the relaxation experience for others.  There are great photos of the spa on the Nun’s website.

See Assisi at Night

There are few places I’ve been that are as peaceful as Assisi is at night.  Assisi and Umbria (but that’s tomorrow’s post!) are quiet.  These are places where you hear more birds than cars.  If you spend the bulk of your time in the city, it can be unsettling and perhaps even unnerving.  Embrace it though.  If you stay in Assisi, get out for blue hour.  Embrace the feeling of having the city to yourself when all the tourists are gone. Walk the town in the evenings but also make the trip down to the valley.

We made the trip down the hill one night and happened to see the basilica all lit up.  It is awe-inspiring but it’s not as quiet as being on top of the hill.  Make sure to reserve a night (or two) to have a slow dinner.  Walk the stone steps of the city.  Listen to the bells.  The warm yellow lights against the deepening blue skies can make you feel the dichotomy of time in a different way.  Assisi should be more than a day trip, another stop on a pilgrimage or a city to check off your Italy bucket list.  Assisi is absolutely beautiful in the evenings, and I think everyone should see it when it is quiet and the tourists have all gone back to Rome.

Pro tip:  I recommend this hill town travel guide if you are planning a trip to any of the hill towns of Italy.  It covers both Umbria and Tuscany.  Tom liked it for the Assisi tourist map that showed all the points of interest in Assisi.  What I like about it is the compact size.  I do not enjoy lugging full-size books around Europe (but I will).  I also find it scandalizing to cut your books up (and wonder how pages don’t fly everywhere).