A pink-stone medieval town on the slopes of Monte Subasio, home of St Francis and one of Christianity's great pilgrimage places: the two-level Basilica of San Francesco, with Giotto's frescoes of the saint's life above and his tomb below (UNESCO-listed with the town), the Basilica of Santa Chiara, the Roman Temple of Minerva on the main square, the Rocca Maggiore castle on top, and on the plain below Santa Maria degli Angeli, built over the tiny Porziuncola chapel. The basilicas are free; shoulders and knees must be covered. Trains from Rome take about 2 hours and from Florence about 2.5, often with a change at Foligno or Terontola; the station is in Santa Maria degli Angeli, 4 km below the walls, with buses up. Perugia and Spello are 20-25 minutes away. Quiet once the day groups leave, so worth a night.
Highlights
- Giotto's frescoes in the Basilica of San Francesco
- St Francis's tomb in the lower church
- Basilica of Santa Chiara
- Piazza del Comune and the Temple of Minerva
- View over the Umbrian plain from the Rocca Maggiore
- Walk up to the Eremo delle Carceri on Monte Subasio
- The Porziuncola in Santa Maria degli Angeli
- Day trip to Perugia or Spello
Things to do
- Basilica of San Francesco: the upper and lower churches and the tombMorning · 2h 30m
- Santa Chiara, the Cathedral of San Rufino and Piazza del ComuneAfternoon · 2h
- Rocca Maggiore and the walls at sunsetEvening · 1h 30m
- Walk up to the Eremo delle Carceri on Monte SubasioMorning · 3h 30m
- Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncola chapelAfternoon · 1h 30m
- Perugia's old town and the Galleria Nazionale dell'UmbriaAfternoon · 4h
- Spello and its flower-lined lanesMorning · 3h
- Umbrian dinner: truffles and strangozzi pastaEvening · 2h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: April – June, September – October