Assisi - A little gem in Umbria.

"For it is in giving we receive"― St. Francis of Assisi

Assisi, located in the charming region of Umbria, is a must-see! If you're currently in Florence and planning a trip there, you made the right choice. Assisi is accessible via train : a direct train departs every day, every four hours from Firenze Campo di Marte in direction to Assisi.

It takes approximately 2h30m to arrive at destination.

Why visiting Assisi?

Assisi is a lovely town surrounded by an exceptional natural landscape. Known for being a UNESCO world heritage site, it hosts a wonderful exemple of medieval architecture with its Basilica and is also the birthplace of Saint Francis, founder of the Franciscan order and one of the most popular Catholic saints, as well as the saint patron of Italy. As such, this unique destination is a popular pilgrimage destination. Catholics, and nuns from all around visit this place in order to feel connected to the spirit of Saint Francis.

The main attraction of the town is the Basilica of San Francesco whose construction begun in 1228. The basilica is made of two churches (one upper and one lower) which are built into the town's hillside. If you're an Art amateur, this place has to be on your dream list, especially because of the breathtaking frescoes painted inside by Giotto (one of the greatest painter of his time). These frescoes are the reason why I personally decided to visit Assisi : as an Art History graduate, it was a goal of mine to see them in person.

The frescoes are taking most of the walls, especially in the upper church, where you can find the "cycle of st Francis”. Through these paintings, Giotto and his bottega narrates the story of the Saint's life with a very peculiar touch. If you visit it, take a look at how the scenes and actions take place in a proper environnement where the architecture is actually reminiscent off the real medieval buildings that Giotto knew during his life. Also the precision in the depiction of natural elements such as the birds in the famous scene of his sermons to birds.

You will not find photos of the inside of the church in this article since unfortunately, it is forbidden to take any pictures; mostly for reasons regarding the painting’s preservation. Indeed not only can taking pictures damage the paintings depending on the camera mode, but this rule is also a way to make people forget about capturing the moment but living it fully. We must remember that this is a spiritual place before anything else, a notable location of pilgrimage, and as such, it is important to respect the sacred atmosphere when visiting it.

If you wish to learn more about Giotto's paintings in Assisi, I recommend you this video by Arseuropa channel explaining the symbols and the iconography of the cycle of St Francis.

#umbria #art #architecture #travel #italy