September in UMBRIA, ITALY, Part 3: Assisi

Assisi, approach to the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis

It was our fourth day in Umbria, and we headed for Assisi, about a forty minute drive from Perugia across a flat, agricultural plain. This famous medieval hill town is perched at the edge of Mont Sebasio National Park, which can be seen just beyond the walls of the city. We followed signs to a car park near the Basilica di San Francesco (Basilica of Saint Francis), and walked through the gate and up narrow streets to the broad ramp that led to the entrance of the lower church.

No talking or photographs are allowed inside the Basilica so we rented audio guides–an excellent way to make sense of the abundance of art inside. Every square inch in both the upper and lower church is covered with decoration, either in carved stone or as wall paintings, the most famous being the fresco cycle in the upper church that depict scenes from the life of Saint Francis.

Poster of Giotto fresco in the Basilica

Traditionally, the frescoes are attributed to Giotto and his workshop, but today there is some question by art historians as to whether Giotto was the artist. In any case, the paintings are superb examples of Renaissance art and the use of realism and perspective. The Basilica was built on orders from the Pope just after the death of St. Francis in 1226. St. Francis is the patron saint of Italy so the church and town of Assisi draw thousands of tourists every day. But the requirement for silence inside the Basilica makes a visit there feel calm and peaceful despite all the visitors.

Streets of Assisi

Assisi's history goes back to before Roman times and historic buildings line the steep, narrow streets. Visiting Assisi is like spending the day doing stairmaster–except for a few piazzas, almost every street is slanted or stepped. My legs ached by the end of the day, especially after climbing to the top of the hill to visit the castle (Rocco Maggiore) with its 360 degree view of the town and verdant Umbrian countryside. Inside the castle we climbed the towers and visited a museum of medieval tools, weapons, and costumes. After we made a small donation we were given a small poster of the fresco in the Basilica showing St. Francis giving his cloak to a poor man. (see above)

Inside the castle walls of the Rocco Maggiore. The fortress was first built in the 12th century, then rebuilt in 1367.

On our way back down the hill we stopped at a shop selling Umbrian food specialties and bought two roast pork sandwiches, which we ate later as a picnic supper back at the hotel. Shops in Assisi are filled with saintly souvenirs and local specialties such as salami, truffles, pasta, beans and olive oil. There are also a surprising number of art galleries.

Local Umbrian specialties include pork and wild boar (chingiale)

During the day, as we toured the town, we also went into the small Baroque church of Santa Maria delle Rose, as well as the Duomo (San Rufino), an imposing Romanesque cathedral built on top of Roman ruins. Some of the ruins are visible under thick glass beneath the church aisle and in the plaza in front. It is a little disconcerting to walk across these glass "windows"--as if one is floating on air--but fascinating to see the ancient ruins below.

Carved stone figures appear to hold up the wall on the Romanesque facade of San Rufino, completed in 1253

We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Assisi. It was a warm, sunny day and although there were plenty of tourists, it didn’t seem crowded, perhaps because we visited on a weekday.

View of Assisi and Mont Subasio from the path to the Rocco Maggiore

September in UMBRIA, ITALY, Part 1: Perugia and Deruta

Piazza in front of the Duomo in Perugia; the fountain, Fontana Maggiore, is decorated with dozens of carved stone figures

We love traveling to Italy for its beautiful scenery, delicious food, wealth of art and culture both ancient and modern, and the opportunity to spend time in the out of doors. Two weeks ago we spent six days in Umbria, a region of rolling hills, ancient hill towns, and national parks about two hours north of Rome. We made Perugia, the regional capital, our base.

View of Perugia from our room at the Castello di Monterone

We stayed about three kilometers outside of Perugia at the Castello di Monterone, a medieval castle that has been converted to a comfortable hotel. From our windows we looked out over golden fields and olive groves and on the other side of the valley we could see the steeples and towers of Perugia perched on top of the hill. Like many medieval Umbrian towns, Perugia is a walled city, with buildings clustered together along steep and narrow streets. The old town is the historical center and has most of the tourist attractions, while the new, modern Perugia spreads along the slopes below.

Perugia Duomo, Dedicated to San Lorenzo, was built in the 15th Century

On our first day, we drove into Perugia, leaving our car at the Piazzale Partigiani, a parking garage at the bottom of the hill and took a series of escalators from there up to the main square. It was Sunday, so we decided to go first to the Cathedral (Duomo) and listen to the service (in Italian) and the organ music while taking in the magnificence of the surrounding space.

Adoration of the Magi by Perugino (1450-1523)

Afterward, when we went outside, it had begun to rain so it seemed like a good idea to head for the art museum across the square to view the works of Umbria’s most famous painter, Pietro di Cristoforo Vanucci, known as Il Perugino. His figures convey a naturalism not seen in earlier works of the period and the paintings are filled with light, making them feel quite modern. The museum has hundreds of works from the early Renaissance onward, revealing the richness of Umbria’s art heritage. Other Renaissance artists whose works can be seen in the museum include Piero della Francesca and Fra Angelico.

Etruscan boundary stone, Cippus Perusinus

Our ticket to the art museum also got us into several other museums in Perugia, so after a cup of strong Italian coffee (sipped under an umbrella since it was still raining) we made our way down the hill to the archeology museum which is filled with ancient Roman ruins, prehistoric tools and artifacts, and a tablet with the oldest known example of Etruscan writing.

Chocolate samples at Perugina factory

Perugia is known as the chocolate capital of Italy and we passed numerous chocolate shops as we walked along the streets. Later, at the end of the week, we went to the Perugina chocolate factory (owned now by Nestle), located in the industrial part of Perugia and home of the famous Baci candies. We went for a tour, chocolate tasting and visit to the Museum of Chocolate. Thousands of chocolate candies are produced every day in the plant. We toured from a catwalk above the factory floor and watched them move along conveyor belts in various stages of completion. I only realized after the tour that the name Baci means “kisses” in Italian. Inside the wrapper of each Baci is a love note! Not surprisingly, the busiest time of year at the factory is Valentine’s Day.

Entrance to the hill town of Deruta

Umbria is also famous for its majolica pottery and the center for that is the hill town of Deruta, about a half hour's drive from Perugia. That was our destination the next day, and again, we parked our car at the bottom of the hill. But this time there were no escalators, so we walked the steep paths to the top where a broad piazza surrounds a modest church and a museum of ceramics. However, it was Monday, when most museums are closed, so we didn’t have a chance to visit. Instead we explored the many shops and bought a small bowl as a souvenir.

We then returned to the hotel to relax and for dinner in the excellent hotel restaurant, Gradale. Our plan for the following day was an excursion to Lake Trasimeno. (To be continued next week.)

Sunset over Perugia