# Assisi

The city of St Francis on the slope of Monte Subasio: the basilica with Giotto's frescoes, a fortress with views over all of Umbria and trails that leave the walls for the hermitage and for Spello.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/umbria/assisi · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How do you get there from Spain?

The most convenient way is to fly to Rome and continue by train to Foligno and Assisi, or to fly to Perugia airport, which is halfway between Perugia and Assisi. The railway station isn't in the city but below, at Santa Maria degli Angeli, on the Foligno–Terontola line; from there you go up by bus. By car you arrive via the E45, Assisi exit.

## How do you get around?

On foot. The historic centre is closed to unauthorised cars and the most convenient paid car park is the one in Piazza Matteotti, in the upper part. The streets are steep: between the basilica and the Rocca Maggiore there's a good climb.

## When is it most crowded?

Mid-morning, when groups arrive at the basilica, and on the big Franciscan feast days. Sleep inside the walls and you'll see the city empty early in the morning and at dusk, when the stone turns pink.

## Where to sleep and eat?

To sleep inside the walls, the Giotto Hotel & Spa is next to the basilica and has parking, and the Hotel Pallotta, small and family-run, is by Piazza del Comune. If you prefer the countryside, the Agriturismo Malvarina has cottages with a kitchen and its own osteria.

For eating, the Trattoria Pallotta has served Umbrian cooking on the main square since 1860; La Locanda del Cardinale, above the remains of a Roman house, is for a special meal, and the Pasticceria Sensi is for breakfast or to take away a rocciata.

## Plans and getaways

From Rome you have Assisi by train in a day, Assisi by car with the Porziuncola and the Eremo delle Carceri and two nights in Assisi with the walk to Spello.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Orvieto (a 56.8 km), Civita di Bagnoregio (a 64.1 km), Val d'Orcia (a 76.0 km), Caprarola and Bomarzo (a 79.6 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Basilica of St Francis, the two churches and the crypt** (1 h 30 · Everyone · Free entry): It is the reason almost everyone comes to Assisi, and it is best seen early or late in the day, when the groups have gone. The two churches are visited separately: start below, which opens earlier.
What it is
Francis died in 1226 and was declared a saint two years later. In 1228 Pope Gregory IX decided to build a special church for him, and in 1230 his body was moved here. The basilica was dedicated in 1253 and has been the mother house of the Franciscan order ever since, looked after by the friars of the Sacro Convento. In 2000 UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site together with other Franciscan sites in Assisi.
They are in fact two churches, one on top of the other. The lower one, the first to be built, is Romanesque, low and dimly lit, designed for contemplation beside the tomb. The upper one is Gothic, tall and bright, and its walls tell the life of Francis. Between them they hold frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue, Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti: one of the greatest concentrations of medieval painting in Italy.
Who it suits
Anyone: pilgrims, art travellers and families. There is no entrance fee. It is a church in use, with Masses throughout the day, so the visit calls for silence and respect, especially in the crypt. If you are going with children, tell them a story of Francis beforehand, such as the wolf of Gubbio or the sermon to the birds: they will then find it in the frescoes.
Getting there
Assisi railway station is on the plain, in Santa Maria degli Angeli, on the line from Florence and Terontola to Perugia and Foligno, about 3 km from the historic centre. From the station forecourt buses leave every half hour and take about ten minutes to climb up. Perugia airport is 12 km away and has a bus or taxi.
By car, take the E45 to the Assisi exit. The historic centre has restricted traffic: park in the car parks on the outskirts of the old town and walk up.
Hours and when to go
The lower church is open from 6:00 to 18:30 (on Wednesdays it closes at 17:30); the upper church from 8:30 to 18:00; the crypt from 6:00 to 18:15. On public holidays there are Masses in the lower church at 7:30, 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 17:00 and 18:30; during services, avoid walking through the nave.
The first hour of the morning and the last of the afternoon are the quietest. In mid-morning the organised groups arrive and the upper church fills up. If you can, avoid 4 October, the feast of St Francis, and the big pilgrimage days if you want calm; go if what you want is to experience the festival.
What it costs
Entry to the churches and the tomb is free. Guided tours, the treasury museum and other activities are booked separately at the basilica's information office, at prenotazioni.sanfrancesco.org.
If it rains
Everything is indoors, so it is the ideal visit for a rainy day in Assisi. Complete the day with the Basilica of Santa Chiara, at the other end of the town, or with Santa Maria degli Angeli, next to the station, which holds the Porziuncola.
- **Hike from Assisi to the Eremo delle Carceri and the Croce di Sassopiano** (5 h · 12 km · Used to walking · Independent · free): The Eremo delle Carceri is a group of cells and chapels in a wooded gorge of Subasio, where Francis and his companions retired to pray. You can get there by road, but walking up from the town you understand why they chose it.
What the Eremo is
Before Francis there was already a chapel here surrounded by caves where hermits retired. With him, the word carceri, prisons, came to mean voluntary confinement in solitude. In 1400 St Bernardino of Siena enlarged it with a small convent and the little church of Santa Maria delle Carceri. It is all set in a dense holm-oak wood, and beside the hermitage grows a very old holm oak, the tree of the birds, where according to tradition the birds perched to sing for the saint.
Why do the hike and who it suits
The route brings together three things in a day: the climb through the woods to the hermitage, the silent visit and an open ending at the Croce di Sassopiano, a cross looking out over the whole Umbrian plain, with Assisi at your feet. It then crosses part of the meadows at the top of Subasio, a landscape of pasture that few people associate with Assisi.
It suits those who walk regularly and can manage about five hours with 500 metres of climbing. There are no technical sections. The park does not consider it a family route: with children, it is better to go up only as far as the Eremo and come back.
Getting to the start
The Rocca Minore, also called Rocchicciola, is in the highest part of Assisi's historic centre, above the Piazza del Comune. If you are staying in the town, you set off on foot from your hotel. If you come by car, park in one of the car parks in the upper part of the old town and walk up: the centre has restricted traffic.
When to go
Spring and autumn are the best times: the woods are green and the temperatures allow you to climb without strain. In summer set off very early, because the upper part and the provincial road have no shade. In winter the summit may have snow or fog; if the day is not clear, stay on the first part, as far as the Eremo.
To avoid crowds at the Eremo, arrive first thing: in mid-morning cars and groups come up the road.
What it costs
Nothing. The path and the visit to the Eremo are free.
If the weather is bad
In rain or fog, the upper part loses its view and the meadow becomes unpleasant. Do only the climb to the Eremo along the track of the 350, which goes almost entirely through the woods, and leave Sassopiano for another day. The alternative in town is the Basilica of St Francis, entirely indoors.
- **Rocca Maggiore, the fortress above Assisi** (1 h · From age 6 · Standard entry €8): What it is
The Rocca Maggiore is the fortress that crowns Assisi, on the hilltop above the town. There has been a military fortress here since at least 1174, when the Swabians occupied the town for Emperor Frederick Barbarossa; tradition says that the young Frederick II spent part of his childhood within these walls. In 1198 the inhabitants rose up and razed it, and a young Francis took part in that revolt. What you see today is the 14th-century reconstruction by Cardinal Gil de Albornoz, with later additions: the raised keep of Biordo Michelotti and the covered walkway to the polygonal tower, completed under Pope Pius II. It lost its military role in the 16th century and the town council bought it after the unification of Italy.
What you visit

The outer courtyard and the towers, with the open view over the Umbrian valley, Santa Maria degli Angeli on the plain and, behind you, the slopes of Subasio.
The keep (mastio), which rises in the centre of the enclosure.
The large interior halls, with coats of arms, and the small museum, with audio guide.
The covered walkway, a long, narrow corridor between walls that leads to the polygonal tower, the most curious part of the visit.

Allow an hour to see it at leisure and spend a while at the top.
Opening hours
Open every day, except 25 December, from 10:00. Closing time changes by month:

November to February: until 17:00.
March and October: until 18:00.
April, May and September: until 19:00.
June to August: until 20:00.

The ticket office closes 45 minutes earlier. If you go in winter, arrive before 16:15.
Tickets

Standard: €8.
Reduced: €6, ages 9 to 18, over-65s, students with ID and groups of more than 20 people.
Free: children up to 8, people with a disability card and residents of Assisi.
Combined ticket: €14 (€11 reduced), with the Rocca Maggiore, the Roman Forum, the Municipal Picture Gallery and the Torre del Popolo, and a multilingual audio guide. If you plan to see two of those places, it is worth it.

Getting there
The historic centre is closed to traffic except for authorised vehicles. The nearest car park is the paid one at Piazza Matteotti, in the upper part of the town, where the bus also stops; from there it is about 550 m to the fortress, uphill. If you are in the centre, you walk up from anywhere along steep streets and steps.
The most convenient thing is to combine it with the rest of the upper part: the Cathedral of San Rufino is on the way and the Basilica of St Francis is at the other end of the town. If you have the legs for it, the path to the Eremo delle Carceri climbs the slope of Subasio.
With children and accessibility
Children like the covered walkway and the towers, and up to 8 years old they don't pay. Keep an eye on them on the walls and stairs. The fortress is listed as not accessible: there are steps, uneven floors and a steep climb to get there, so it is not feasible with a wheelchair or pushchair.
When to go
At the end of the afternoon the light is softer over the valley. In summer, with closing at 20:00, it is a good time to go up without the heat. On days of fog on the plain, the view is lost: look at the sky before paying.
- **Walking from Assisi to Spello on the Via di Francesco** (4 h 30 · 13.5 km · Used to walking · Independent · free): The route in numbers

Distance: about 13.5 km, from the Basilica of St Francis to Porta Montanara, in Spello.
Ascent: about 340 m of cumulative climb, in short rises.
Time: 4 h 30 min at a relaxed pace.
Surface: alternates tarmac on quiet minor roads with dirt tracks.
Waymarking: it is part of the Via di Francesco, the pilgrim route between La Verna, Assisi and Rome, marked with arrows and yellow and blue signs.

It is the first section of the Assisi – Foligno stage, which in total is about 19 km. It ends in Spello, so you don't have to complete the stage.
The route, step by step

Lower Basilica of St Francis. You start at the basilica and cross the town lengthways, along the main street, to the Basilica of Santa Chiara.
Porta Nuova. You leave the walls by this gate and continue along the same street among the new houses of lower Assisi.
Belvedere del Buon Ladrone. A viewpoint over the valley. From here you have the woods of Monte Subasio on your left and a continuous landscape of olive trees on your right.
Via degli Olivi. At the junction you turn left and pass two small votive oratories.
Along the hillside. A path begins with views over the Assisi valley and Santa Maria degli Angeli on the plain, alternating paved and dirt sections among olive groves.
Maestà di Mascione. An oratory full of ex-votos, next to a fountain: the natural place to drink and rest.
Porta Montanara. Shortly afterwards you enter Spello by this gate, in the upper part of the village.

What to see in Spello
Spello is a village of pink stone on a hill, with Roman walls and gates. The stop that the official Via di Francesco guide says not to skip is the Cappella Baglioni, in the collegiate church of Santa Maria Maggiore, with frescoes by Pinturicchio. Wander down through the streets to Porta Consolare and the station.
Water, shade and season
There are fountains on the way, such as the one at the Maestà di Mascione, and another in Spello. The official guide recommends carrying at least a litre and a half of water in summer and some food: fruit, nuts or energy bars. There is little shade among the olive trees.
It can be done all year. Spring and autumn are the best times; in summer set off early so as not to walk in the middle of the day, and in winter bear in mind that it gets dark early. In the rain the dirt tracks get muddy but there are no dangerous sections.
How to get back
Spello has a station on the same railway line as Assisi, the one linking Foligno with Perugia. Assisi station is not in the upper town but in Santa Maria degli Angeli, on the plain, a few minutes' walk from the Basilica of the Porziuncola; from there, the town bus takes you up to the centre. Check the Trenitalia timetables before setting off: at some times of day there are few trains.
If you are going by car, leave it in Assisi and return by train: the route is linear.
With children or a dog
With children who walk well, the route is manageable: it has no exposed sections and the ascent is spread out. Four and a half hours is a lot for little ones; a good shortening is to walk only as far as the Belvedere del Buon Ladrone and back. With a dog, carry water for it and use a lead on the road sections and in the villages.
- **Calendimaggio, the medieval May festival** (4 h · Everyone · Grandstand in the square is ticketed; check prices on the official website): What it is and what you see
Calendimaggio is the festival with which Assisi welcomes spring, an Umbrian tradition that the town turns into four days of medieval competition. Assisi divides into two sides, the Nobilissima Parte de Sopra, the upper part, and the Magnifica Parte de Sotto, the lower, and the two compete for the palio with processions in period costume, recreations of medieval life, games, challenges and songs through the streets and in the Piazza del Comune. A jury of experts in history, music and performance, different each year, decides who wins, and its verdict is not disputed.
The festival is experienced on two scales. In the Piazza del Comune, the heart of the town, are the solemn ceremonies and the games, with a grandstand. Through the streets pass the processions, which enter and leave the square along Corso Mazzini and Piazza Santa Chiara.
When
It is held from the first Wednesday to the first Saturday after 1 May. In 2026 it ran from 6 to 9 May. The 2027 dates have not yet been announced on the official website; by that rule it would fall on 5 to 8 May, but confirm it before booking.
The programme, day by day
Using the 2026 edition as a guide:

Wednesday, the handing over of the keys. At 15:00 the banners are blessed: those of the Parte de Sotto in the upper Basilica of St Francis and those of the Parte de Sopra in the Cathedral of San Rufino. At 16:00, in the Piazza del Comune, choirs of both parts, investiture of the jury, entrance of the processions, return of the palio and flag-bearers of Assisi. In the evening, at 21:30, the Parte de Sotto presents its recreations of medieval life.
Thursday, Madonna Primavera. At 15:30, in the square, challenge games between the parts, with crossbowmen, a tregge (sledge) race and tug of war, to proclaim Madonna Primavera, who then parades. At 21:30, recreations by the Parte de Sopra.
Friday, the show. At 16:00, the Calendimaggio dei Piccoli in the square; at 21:30, the night procession, the Tenzone.
Saturday, the contest. At 15:30, entrance of the historic processions into the square; at 21:30, the song contest and the awarding of the palio.

Tickets and price
The grandstand in the Piazza del Comune is paid. In 2026 online sales opened on 24 March, with a pass for the four days, through the platform linked from the official website; animals are not allowed in the grandstand. The website does not publish which events are free of charge or the 2027 prices: write to calendimaggiodiassisi.tickets@gmail.com or check the news section when sales are announced.
Getting there and where to park
Assisi railway station is below, in Santa Maria degli Angeli, on the Foligno–Terontola line; from there you go up by bus. By car you arrive via the E45, Assisi exit. The historic centre is closed to unauthorised cars: park outside, for example in the paid car park at Piazza Matteotti, in the upper part. The Calendimaggio website does not publish road closures or special shuttles; bear in mind that the town fills up that week.
Practical tips
Book accommodation well in advance and, if you can, inside the walls: that way you see the night processions without depending on the car. If you don't have a grandstand seat, stand on Corso Mazzini or in Piazza Santa Chiara, where the processions leave the square. The streets of Assisi are steep and made of stone; with a pushchair, a baby carrier is better. On Friday afternoon, the Calendimaggio dei Piccoli is the event designed for children.
Make the most of the mornings, before the afternoon events, for the Basilica of St Francis, which opens at 6:00, or to climb up to the Rocca Maggiore.
- **Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncola** (45 min · Everyone · Free): What it is
Santa Maria degli Angeli is the great basilica of the plain, at the foot of Assisi, next to the railway station. From outside it is an enormous 16th and 17th-century church; inside, under the dome, it holds a tiny chapel: the Porziuncola, the little church where Francis heard the Gospel, chose poverty and lived with his first companions. The Franciscan order was born here, and here Francis died in 1226. To understand Assisi, this is the beginning.
The basilica was built on the orders of Pope St Pius V in 1569 to protect the Franciscan sites and welcome pilgrims. It was designed by Galeazzo Alessi and the works lasted until 1679. The earthquake of 1832 badly damaged it; Luigi Poletti restored it and it returned to worship on 8 September 1840. The present façade, by Cesare Bazzani, dates from 1930, with the statue of the Virgin in gilded bronze at the top, which can be seen from all over the valley.
What to see inside

The Porziuncola. The little stone chapel in the centre of the nave, with its painted façade. You enter in silence and in single file; only a few people fit inside.
The Cappella del Transito. The place where Francis died, next to the presbytery.
The Roseto. The thornless rose garden, linked by tradition to an episode in the life of the saint.
The crypt, under the high altar, where in 1966 remains of ancient structures appeared, probably from the friars' first settlement.
The presbytery, with a 17th-century wooden choir, a Baroque pulpit and the yellow Siena marble altar.
The side chapels, ten of them, five on each side.

Allow 45 minutes for the basilica; an hour and a half if you add the museum.
Opening hours

Basilica: every day from 7:30 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 19:00. For Mass you can enter from 6:30. Until 10 January, Saturdays and Sundays have continuous hours.
Masses: on weekdays at 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 11:00 and 18:00. On public holidays, at 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 (solemn), 17:00 and 18:00, with a Mass in English at 11:00.
Night prayer: Monday to Friday, from 21:00 to 22:30, silent personal prayer, with compline at 22:15.
Porziuncola Museum: from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 17:00; closed on Wednesdays.

With Masses almost every hour in the morning, the basilica is very busy: if you want the Porziuncola in peace, go in the early afternoon.
Entry and reservations
The basilica is free. The sanctuary has an online booking system for groups and for the museum, whose admission you can check on its website. It is a sanctuary in use: dress respectfully and keep quiet.
On 1 and 2 August the Pardon of Assisi, the great feast of the Porziuncola, is celebrated here. On those days there are huge crowds.
Getting there
If you arrive in Assisi by train, the station is in Santa Maria degli Angeli: the basilica is a few minutes' walk away. From the upper town you come down by town bus or by car.
The logical thing is to start here and then go up to the town: to the Basilica of St Francis, where he is buried, and to the Rocca Maggiore. If you walk back from Spello along the Via di Francesco, the train drops you here too.
Accessibility and children
The basilica is on the plain, without the slopes of the upper town: with a wheelchair or pushchair it is the easiest visit in Assisi. With children, the chapel inside the church and the gilded statue on the façade tend to catch their attention; the visit is short.

## Dónde comer
- **Trattoria Pallotta** (Restaurant, Assisi, €€). Qué pedir: strangozzi alla Pallotta and, as a main course, pigeon alla ghiotta or rabbit cacciatore with torta al testo
- **La Locanda del Cardinale** (Restaurant, Assisi, €€€). Qué pedir: seasonal Umbrian cooking and something from the wine cellar, which the Michelin Guide highlights
- **Pasticceria Sensi** (Bakery, Assisi, €). Qué pedir: a portion of Assisi rocciata (€5) with a cappuccino

## Car-free: Without a car: train, bus and on foot
Assisi is easy without a car: the train from Rome or Perugia drops you at Santa Maria degli Angeli, the city bus takes you up to the centre and, inside the walls, everything is on foot, with hills. As far as Spello you can walk along the Via di Francesco and come back by train.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–170 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Giotto Hotel & Spa** (Hotel): A four-star a few steps from the basilica
The Giotto Hotel & Spa is at Via Fontebella, 41, the street that runs down from Piazza San Francesco towards Porta San Francesco, on the western edge of the historic centre. It is a four-star hotel with relais status, with a main building and an annexe, and is designed for those who want to sleep inside the walls but with parking at the door. From the entrance you walk to the basilica in a few minutes, along the same street, and to Piazza del Comune going up through the centre.
Its strong point is the slope: almost all the rooms in the main building look onto the Umbrian valley, towards Santa Maria degli Angeli and the plain. At sunset, from the terrace of the Belvedere bar, you see the lights of the valley come on. If you sleep here, you can enter the lower basilica first thing, before the groups arrive.
The rooms
There are standard rooms, from 18 to 20 m², with a view of the valley, the city or the alleys, depending on whether they are in the main building or the annexe. Above them, the Charme Superior have 28 m² and a 40 m² terrace with a porch, and the junior suites (35 m²) and suites (50 m²) take up to three people. The two largest suites have terraces of 60 and 70 m² above the valley. Beware of some junior suites and suites on the top floor: they are reached by stairs and have no lift. If you are travelling with someone who cannot climb stairs, ask for another when you book.
Spa, breakfast and restaurant
The La Sorgente spa is small and private, for a few people at a time, with treatments and massages that are booked; the website does not publish hours or prices. Breakfast is a buffet, sweet and savoury, cold and hot, with attention to special diets. The hotel has its own restaurant, L'Estasi, and rooms for weddings and events, so on some weekends there are celebrations.
Getting there and parking
The centre of Assisi has restricted traffic, but the hotel has private parking in front of the entrance: €20 per car per night, by reservation and until it is full. If there is no space, reception will point you to the nearest public car park. Without a car, from Santa Maria degli Angeli station a city bus goes up to the centre and you walk down Via Fontebella.
- **Hotel Pallotta** (Small hotel): An old house next to the square
The Hotel Pallotta occupies a restored old house at Via San Rufino, 6, the street that climbs from Piazza del Comune towards the cathedral of San Rufino. It is a small family hotel: it is looked after by Elsa and, as the house tells it, the jam tart at breakfast has been made here for three generations. It shares a surname and family with the Trattoria Pallotta, which is a few steps away, under the arch of the Volta Pinta.
It is a good base if you are going without a car and want to have everything at hand: the main square with the temple of Minerva round the corner, Santa Chiara and San Rufino five minutes away, the basilica of St Francis a downhill walk and the Rocca Maggiore uphill. At night, when the excursion coaches leave, the centre is quiet.
The rooms
There is a single, doubles and, in an annexe building, a double and two quadruples, useful for families. They have terracotta floors, a private bathroom with a small shower tray, television, telephone and heating with its own thermostat; the website also mentions air conditioning and free wifi. Some have windows over the rooftops. On the third floor there is a viewing platform with views of the city, and on the first a corner with wifi and a computer. You can enter your room on your own, without depending on reception.
Breakfast is optional and is served from 8:00 to 10:00: tea, coffee, cappuccino, bread, cereals, jams, cheeses, yoghurt, juice and home-made tarts.
Getting there and parking
The centre is a limited traffic zone: you can drive in for a moment to unload your luggage and then leave the car outside. The hotel has no parking of its own. The nearest is the covered one at Piazza Matteotti, paid (€12 a day), about 300 metres away; there is also free parking on Via della Rocca, at a similar distance. Without a car, the bus that climbs from Santa Maria degli Angeli station drops you in the centre.
The conditions are simple: free cancellation up to one day before arrival, no deposit, and you pay on arrival. The website does not publish prices or check-in and check-out times; ask when you book on WhatsApp or from its booking system.

## By car: By car: Assisi and the villages of Subasio
With a car, Assisi is a good base for Umbria: Spello, Perugia and Montefalco are close. The historic centre is closed to unauthorised traffic, so the car stays in an outer car park or the hotel's.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–200 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Giotto Hotel & Spa** (Hotel): A four-star a few steps from the basilica
The Giotto Hotel & Spa is at Via Fontebella, 41, the street that runs down from Piazza San Francesco towards Porta San Francesco, on the western edge of the historic centre. It is a four-star hotel with relais status, with a main building and an annexe, and is designed for those who want to sleep inside the walls but with parking at the door. From the entrance you walk to the basilica in a few minutes, along the same street, and to Piazza del Comune going up through the centre.
Its strong point is the slope: almost all the rooms in the main building look onto the Umbrian valley, towards Santa Maria degli Angeli and the plain. At sunset, from the terrace of the Belvedere bar, you see the lights of the valley come on. If you sleep here, you can enter the lower basilica first thing, before the groups arrive.
The rooms
There are standard rooms, from 18 to 20 m², with a view of the valley, the city or the alleys, depending on whether they are in the main building or the annexe. Above them, the Charme Superior have 28 m² and a 40 m² terrace with a porch, and the junior suites (35 m²) and suites (50 m²) take up to three people. The two largest suites have terraces of 60 and 70 m² above the valley. Beware of some junior suites and suites on the top floor: they are reached by stairs and have no lift. If you are travelling with someone who cannot climb stairs, ask for another when you book.
Spa, breakfast and restaurant
The La Sorgente spa is small and private, for a few people at a time, with treatments and massages that are booked; the website does not publish hours or prices. Breakfast is a buffet, sweet and savoury, cold and hot, with attention to special diets. The hotel has its own restaurant, L'Estasi, and rooms for weddings and events, so on some weekends there are celebrations.
Getting there and parking
The centre of Assisi has restricted traffic, but the hotel has private parking in front of the entrance: €20 per car per night, by reservation and until it is full. If there is no space, reception will point you to the nearest public car park. Without a car, from Santa Maria degli Angeli station a city bus goes up to the centre and you walk down Via Fontebella.
- **Agriturismo Malvarina** (Country house): A farm in the hills of Assisi
Malvarina is a farm stay at Via Pieve di Sant'Apollinare, 32, in the countryside south-east of Assisi, among olive trees and woodland. It is run by a family agricultural company with an organic farm: extra virgin olive oil, honey and preserves that are sold at the house and used in the kitchen. It is for those who prefer to sleep in the countryside, with a car, and go up to Assisi for the day; the centre and the basilica are a few minutes by car.
What weighs most here is the table. The Malvarina osteria is in the Slow Food guide Osterie d'Italia: family Umbrian cooking, with recipes by Patrizia, the cook, and produce from the farm or from small producers in the area. Torta al testo, cardoon (gobbo) parmigiana, chicken cacciatore and rocciata for dessert. The menu of the day is published on the website: for example, a first course of €15, a main course of €20 and a dessert of €7, or the full menu of the day at €35 per person with water. On Sundays there is a traditional family lunch. Always book by phone: the closing day changes with the season.
Rooms and cottages
There are double, triple and quadruple rooms (in the last two, a double bed goes on a mezzanine) and independent ground-floor cottages with an equipped kitchen, a sitting room with a sofa bed, a double bedroom, a bathroom with shower and a private garden with a table and chairs. All have heating, free wifi, a private bathroom with towels and toiletries. There is no television, on purpose. They are tidied every day, with a change of bed linen and a thorough weekly clean.
What to do from here
Malvarina hires electric bicycles, a good way of getting around the plain and the hills between Assisi, Spello and the plain of Santa Maria degli Angeli. For the basilica and the centre, the convenient thing is to go by car and leave it in an outer car park, such as Piazza Matteotti.
The website does not publish room prices, check-in and check-out times or rules on animals: you see them in its booking system or by asking.

## By plane: Fly to Rome and take the train to Assisi
For Assisi the usual thing is to fly to Rome: Fiumicino has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities. From Roma Termini, the regional train reaches Assisi station, at Santa Maria degli Angeli, in about two and a half hours; from there a city bus with a combined ticket goes up to the centre. Perugia airport (PEG) is closer, halfway between Perugia and Assisi, but check first whether there is a flight from your city. By car from Fiumicino, the A1 motorway and the E45 to the Assisi exit: about two and a half hours.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Giotto Hotel & Spa** (Hotel): A four-star a few steps from the basilica
The Giotto Hotel & Spa is at Via Fontebella, 41, the street that runs down from Piazza San Francesco towards Porta San Francesco, on the western edge of the historic centre. It is a four-star hotel with relais status, with a main building and an annexe, and is designed for those who want to sleep inside the walls but with parking at the door. From the entrance you walk to the basilica in a few minutes, along the same street, and to Piazza del Comune going up through the centre.
Its strong point is the slope: almost all the rooms in the main building look onto the Umbrian valley, towards Santa Maria degli Angeli and the plain. At sunset, from the terrace of the Belvedere bar, you see the lights of the valley come on. If you sleep here, you can enter the lower basilica first thing, before the groups arrive.
The rooms
There are standard rooms, from 18 to 20 m², with a view of the valley, the city or the alleys, depending on whether they are in the main building or the annexe. Above them, the Charme Superior have 28 m² and a 40 m² terrace with a porch, and the junior suites (35 m²) and suites (50 m²) take up to three people. The two largest suites have terraces of 60 and 70 m² above the valley. Beware of some junior suites and suites on the top floor: they are reached by stairs and have no lift. If you are travelling with someone who cannot climb stairs, ask for another when you book.
Spa, breakfast and restaurant
The La Sorgente spa is small and private, for a few people at a time, with treatments and massages that are booked; the website does not publish hours or prices. Breakfast is a buffet, sweet and savoury, cold and hot, with attention to special diets. The hotel has its own restaurant, L'Estasi, and rooms for weddings and events, so on some weekends there are celebrations.
Getting there and parking
The centre of Assisi has restricted traffic, but the hotel has private parking in front of the entrance: €20 per car per night, by reservation and until it is full. If there is no space, reception will point you to the nearest public car park. Without a car, from Santa Maria degli Angeli station a city bus goes up to the centre and you walk down Via Fontebella.
- **Hotel Pallotta** (Small hotel): An old house next to the square
The Hotel Pallotta occupies a restored old house at Via San Rufino, 6, the street that climbs from Piazza del Comune towards the cathedral of San Rufino. It is a small family hotel: it is looked after by Elsa and, as the house tells it, the jam tart at breakfast has been made here for three generations. It shares a surname and family with the Trattoria Pallotta, which is a few steps away, under the arch of the Volta Pinta.
It is a good base if you are going without a car and want to have everything at hand: the main square with the temple of Minerva round the corner, Santa Chiara and San Rufino five minutes away, the basilica of St Francis a downhill walk and the Rocca Maggiore uphill. At night, when the excursion coaches leave, the centre is quiet.
The rooms
There is a single, doubles and, in an annexe building, a double and two quadruples, useful for families. They have terracotta floors, a private bathroom with a small shower tray, television, telephone and heating with its own thermostat; the website also mentions air conditioning and free wifi. Some have windows over the rooftops. On the third floor there is a viewing platform with views of the city, and on the first a corner with wifi and a computer. You can enter your room on your own, without depending on reception.
Breakfast is optional and is served from 8:00 to 10:00: tea, coffee, cappuccino, bread, cereals, jams, cheeses, yoghurt, juice and home-made tarts.
Getting there and parking
The centre is a limited traffic zone: you can drive in for a moment to unload your luggage and then leave the car outside. The hotel has no parking of its own. The nearest is the covered one at Piazza Matteotti, paid (€12 a day), about 300 metres away; there is also free parking on Via della Rocca, at a similar distance. Without a car, the bus that climbs from Santa Maria degli Angeli station drops you in the centre.
The conditions are simple: free cancellation up to one day before arrival, no deposit, and you pay on arrival. The website does not publish prices or check-in and check-out times; ask when you book on WhatsApp or from its booking system.
- **Agriturismo Malvarina** (Country house): A farm in the hills of Assisi
Malvarina is a farm stay at Via Pieve di Sant'Apollinare, 32, in the countryside south-east of Assisi, among olive trees and woodland. It is run by a family agricultural company with an organic farm: extra virgin olive oil, honey and preserves that are sold at the house and used in the kitchen. It is for those who prefer to sleep in the countryside, with a car, and go up to Assisi for the day; the centre and the basilica are a few minutes by car.
What weighs most here is the table. The Malvarina osteria is in the Slow Food guide Osterie d'Italia: family Umbrian cooking, with recipes by Patrizia, the cook, and produce from the farm or from small producers in the area. Torta al testo, cardoon (gobbo) parmigiana, chicken cacciatore and rocciata for dessert. The menu of the day is published on the website: for example, a first course of €15, a main course of €20 and a dessert of €7, or the full menu of the day at €35 per person with water. On Sundays there is a traditional family lunch. Always book by phone: the closing day changes with the season.
Rooms and cottages
There are double, triple and quadruple rooms (in the last two, a double bed goes on a mezzanine) and independent ground-floor cottages with an equipped kitchen, a sitting room with a sofa bed, a double bedroom, a bathroom with shower and a private garden with a table and chairs. All have heating, free wifi, a private bathroom with towels and toiletries. There is no television, on purpose. They are tidied every day, with a change of bed linen and a thorough weekly clean.
What to do from here
Malvarina hires electric bicycles, a good way of getting around the plain and the hills between Assisi, Spello and the plain of Santa Maria degli Angeli. For the basilica and the centre, the convenient thing is to go by car and leave it in an outer car park, such as Piazza Matteotti.
The website does not publish room prices, check-in and check-out times or rules on animals: you see them in its booking system or by asking.

## As a family: Assisi with children, in short steps

Assisi is small and can be covered on foot, but with slopes. It works to alternate a short visit with a while in a square or at the fortress, where children can climb the towers.

### What works best
The Rocca Maggiore, with towers and a covered walkway; free up to age 8

The basilica, if you first tell them the story of St Francis and the animals

The Porziuncola, a tiny chapel inside an enormous basilica

The Calendimaggio, if it coincides, with parades and music in the street

### Where to sleep
Inside the walls, so you don't depend on the bus

### Where to eat
Torta al testo, the Umbrian flatbread with filling, easy for children

### Keep in mind
The streets are steep and cobbled: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair

The route to the Eremo and Sassopiano is not a family route according to the park; with children, go up only to the Eremo

### Qué hacer as a family
- Basilica of St Francis, the two churches and the crypt
- Rocca Maggiore, the fortress above Assisi
- Calendimaggio, the medieval May festival
- Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncola

## With teenagers: Assisi for teenagers who walk

A teenager is more interested in the mountain than in churches. Combine the basilica first thing with a proper hike on Subasio or the walk to Spello.

### What works best
The route to the Eremo delle Carceri and Sassopiano: 12 km and 500 m of climbing

The Rocca Maggiore, with the covered walkway; reduced ticket for ages 9 to 18

The Calendimaggio, with competition between the two neighbourhoods

Giotto's frescoes in the basilica, like a comic strip of 28 panels

### Where to sleep
Inside the walls or in Santa Maria degli Angeli, next to the station

### Where to eat
Torta al testo and a sandwich for the route

### Keep in mind
There is no shade in the summit meadow

In the basilica silence is requested and clothing that covers shoulders and knees

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Basilica of St Francis, the two churches and the crypt
- Hike from Assisi to the Eremo delle Carceri and the Croce di Sassopiano
- Rocca Maggiore, the fortress above Assisi
- Calendimaggio, the medieval May festival

## Consejos

### Start with the lower church
It opens at 6:00, two and a half hours before the upper one.

### Get the combined ticket
For €14 you enter the Rocca Maggiore, the Roman Forum, the Pinacoteca and the Torre del Popolo, with an audio guide.

### Go up Subasio in the morning
The summit meadow has no shade.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do I need?
One day for the basilica and the city; two if you want to walk to the Eremo delle Carceri or to Spello.

### Is there a train to Assisi?
Yes, to Santa Maria degli Angeli station, on the plain. From there you go up to the centre by bus.

### Can you drive in?
Not into the historic centre, except authorised vehicles. Park in Piazza Matteotti or another car park outside.

### When is the Calendimaggio?
From the first Wednesday to the first Saturday after 1 May.

### What are the basilica's opening hours?
The lower church opens from 6:00 to 18:30 (Wednesdays until 17:30) and the upper one from 8:30 to 18:00.