The Highlights of Assisi, Italy

Assisi, Italy was the first town I visited after arriving in Rome. Even though I went more around the winter season, I thought this town was a great option because of its fame for being the birthplace of St. Francis, which I assumed would maintain enough tourism to keep a few shops and restaurants open. St. Francis is famous in Christianity, especially Catholicism, for his reverence for God and his servant’s heart.  

While my time in Assisi was wonderful, I will say that the train ride to get to this small town from Rome was not enjoyable. There are two types of trains in Italy, the regional trains and the express trains. The express trains are high-speed trains that go from major city to major city, such as Rome to Florence or Milan to Venice. These trains only have one or two stops between these wide distances. The regional trains, however, stop from town to town and go much slower. It is obviously necessary to commute to these picturesque villages, and the destinations are worth the long, and sometimes uncomfortable rides. However, this particular regional train, which went through many tunnels with intense pressure changes, was not enjoyable, especially for people like me that easily get motion sickness. Make sure to be aware of this and perhaps try to take a nap on this ride. 

From Assisi’s town train station, we took the bus up to the actual village, which is on a hill. The zig zag roads leading us toward the town left me in awe as I felt like I was in a movie, with every detail of this small town stealing my breath and making me excited to start exploring.  

There are three must-see places in this town. The first one, as you may assume, is the Basilica of San Francesco. This is actually a UNESCO world heritage site for its architecture and art. I saw this near the end of my day, watching the sunset from the grassy area. The second place is Rocca Maggiore. This was actually my first stop, because I wanted to start my journey at the top of the town and work my way back down. This medieval castle allows for self-guided tours, so I was able to go at my own pace and take as much time as I needed to admire the surrounding countryside from the top of the hill. There are many other cathedrals and basilicas in this town, but my personal favorite was the Basilica di Santa Chiara. The beautiful pink striped exterior was just as breathtaking inside.  

I’m usually a huge planner when it comes to finding great places to eat, because food is one of the most important parts of my travel experience, However, because it was winter, many of the restaurants were closed, and I had to just find one that was open and hope for the best. The Ristorante la Fortezza is what I picked, and I started with their homemade cheese and jam platter. One of their cheeses was some of the best I’d ever had, and when I asked the owner what it was called, he said it was a secret family recipe. For my decided on Strangozzi alla Norcina e Tartufo, which was their homemade creamy sausage pasta flavored with mushrooms and truffle. It was earthy without being unpleasant, and the perfect warm meal for a cold day. I also ordered a glass of their house blend red wine. I’m not a red wine person, preferring white myself, but their house blend was the best I’ve ever tasted. I still regret not buying a bottle to take home with me. I’m not kidding that I would go back to Assisi for this meal. 

I ended the day with a quick stop for some pizza a taglio, an Italian term from pizza by the slice. I also decided to walk back to the train station instead of taking the shuttle bus to catch a late train. This was an incredibly long walk, but if you enjoy hiking, it was well worth the distance to take in the views of the hilltop village from the bottom.  

The town of Assisi is a perfect Italian small town escape from the hustle and bustle of Rome and Florence. Assisi makes a perfect day trip from either of these cities. Although the town has spiritual significance for Christians, it is simply a beautiful place for anyone to visit, regardless of their personal beliefs. It is a worthwhile and stunning place to spend a day for a weekend.