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Guided Tour of Assisi

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Guided Tour of Assisi

Discovering the great pilgrimage site in the footsteps of Saint Francis

If you are curious about the wonderful city of Assisi, the places that characterise it and make it the most famous Umbrian city in the world, you can’t miss this fascinating guided tour of the most beautiful and evocative sites.

In the company of qualified and competent guides, you will begin your tour from one of the most important symbols of the city, the Basilica di San Francesco, an architectural masterpiece that has been recognised and protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage site since 2000. In the two overlapping and independent churches, you’ll have the chance to see extraordinary works by famous artists like Giotto, Cimabue, Lorenzetti and Simone Martini, and finally, inside the crypt, you can see the remains of St Francis.

Continuing through the historic centre, we will enter Piazza del Comune, the hub of the city’s political, social and cultural activities, with its important buildings and the Tempio di Minerva, a Roman Republican building that has now become the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. You will be able to admire the facade and its marvellous Corinthian columns, which have been preserved intact for more than two thousand years. In Assisi you can also visit the Chiesa Nuova, built on the spot where St Francis’ house once stood and where he was locked up by his father who refused to accept his decision to embrace total poverty. Near the Chiesa Nuova, you can also visit the Oratorio di San Francesco Piccolino which was a stable in ancient times and, according to legend, represents the exact place where St Francis was born

Of particular importance is the Basilica di Santa Chiara, located opposite the Basilica di San Francesco, but on the opposite side of the city. Here there are some relics of St Chiara and the Crucifix that had spoken to St Francis.

To conclude the itinerary before lunch, you’ll visit the Cattedrale di San Rufino. It sports a glorious facade carved in Romanesque style and contains the baptismal font in which St Francis and St Clare received the sacrament of Baptism.

If you choose the option of a full-day guided tour, the tour of the city of Assisi will continue after lunch with an exploration of other important places related to the life of St Francis but located outside the walls of the medieval city.

About 5 km from Assisi, surrounded by lush vegetation, the Eremo delle Carceri (hermitage) stands at 800 metres a.s.l. It is located on the slopes of Monte Subasio where St Francis withdrew with his followers to devote himself to periods of deep prayer. The place has maintained a mystical atmosphere of great spirituality and where time seems to have stood still since the days of St Francis. The hermitage stands near the cell-like cave of St Francis.

Continuing the itinerary towards other Franciscan sites, we will reach the Chiesa di S. Damiano, currently one of the most important places of worship in Assisi. The small and welcoming church, which stands on the remains of an ancient building, was rebuilt thanks to St Francis after the Crucifix spoke to him. Later, Santa Chiara (St Clare) and the ‘Povere Dame di San Damiano’ (the Poor Clares), founded a monastery there, and it is here that St Francis composed the famous Laudes Creaturarum or ‘Canticle of the Creatures’. This sacred place also houses graceful frescoes and a copy of the crucifix that communicated with St Francis.

The guided tour will end with a visit to the wonderful Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e della Porziuncola, the small chapel located within it, a place of prayer and of particular importance for St Francis. Here he is said to have understood his vocation, welcomed St Clare on the occasion of his conversion and founded the first order of Franciscan Friars, the Friars Minor, in 1208.

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Photo gallery

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Plan

  1. 1
    Basilica di San Francesco*
  2. 2
    Piazza del Comune
  3. 3
    Tempio della Minerva
  4. 4
    Chiesa Nuova
  5. 5
    Oratorio di San Francesco piccolino
  6. 6
    Santa Chiara
  7. 7
    San Rufino

Recommended clothing

We will be moving mostly on foot so we recommend comfortable clothing, sun glasses or a hat for the sun in warmer times of year, and a anorak or a warm hat in the colder seasons.

Included

Certified guide.

Not included

  • Entrance tickets to paid sites or museums are not included. Entry will never be obligatory and we will agree any visits involving entrance fees with you in advance.
  • Snacks or various accessories are not included (such as audio guides).
  • *audio guide to visit F.Francesco is not included (cost: 2,20 euro)

Time

The activity will last about 2.5 – 3 hours, depending on the pace of the group and the availability of the guide. If you want to extend the duration of your tour you can do so by contacting us in advance or on the day of your visit. We will do our very best to satisfy your every request.

If you choose the whole day:
the afternoon visit will begin immediately after lunch, between 2.30 pm and 3.00 pm, and will last as long as the morning tour.

Languages

  • Italian
  • English
  • German
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Dutch
  • Russian

When

You can enjoy this experience throughout the year.

Children

This activity is also suitable for children.

Pet policy

You can enjoy this experience in the company of your four-legged friend.

Requirements

Get ready to learn and have fun.

Impaired mobility

The activity is also suitable for people with motor or other disabilities. In any case, we invite you to discuss your needs with our staff. If you find out that the experience is not suited to you (or others in your group) we will be happy to offer you an alternative activity or a full refund.

Additional information

  • This activity lasts half a day, so lunch is not provided. In your itinerary you can still select the lunch option, above your timeline. We will be able to recommend one of the best places to eat when you return.
  • We strongly advise you to bring a camera to take photos of the spectacle of nature that will appear before you.

Important

  • You can enjoy this experience in any kind of weather. Some points of interest, however, may be outdoors, so it might not be possible to visit them on bad weather days. The guide will evaluate the weather conditions 48 hours before your tour and, in the event that some monuments/attractions cannot be visited, we will notify you promptly. You can choosewhether to proceed with the tour, replace it with another activity or receive a full refund of the price paid.
  • This activity is subject to our operators’ availability. We have a large selection of collaborators capable of leading this activity, but if on the day you selected we do not have operators availabile, we will immediately, or in any case within 48 hours of booking, suggest an alternative activity you might wish to do or the choice of receiving a full refund of the price paid.
  • The times shown in the program are indicative and may vary according to your requests or those of the other participants in the group. These are always and in any case previously agreed with our staff or with the guide.
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Data sheet

Recommended clothing

We recommend comfortable clothing

Warm hat

Hat with a sun visor

Sunglasses

Windcheater/anorak

Included

Certified guide

Not included

Entrance tickets to paid sites or museums (*)

Snacks or various accessories (such as audio guides)

Everything that’s not listed under the heading ‘what is included’.

*audio guide to visit St.Francesco is not included (cost: 2,20 euro)

Time

The activity will last about 3 hours, including small stops. However, the duration may vary depending on the pace of the group and the need to take fewer or more breaks.

Languages

Italian

English

French

Spanish

German

Dutch

Russian

When

You can enjoy this experience throughout the year.

Requirements

Get ready to learn and have fun

Suitable for children

Provided they are accompanied by their parents

Suitable for people with motor disabilities

In any case, we invite you to discuss your needs with our staff. If you find out that the experience is not suited to you (or others in your group) we will be happy to offer you an alternative activity or a full refund.

Pets are allowed

If easily managed

We invite you to liaise with our staff to check whether you can bring along your four-legged friend.

Additional information

This activity lasts half a day, so lunch is not provided. In your itinerary you can still select the lunch option, above your timeline. We will be able to recommend one of the best places to eat when you return

We strongly advise you to bring a camera to take photos of the spectacle of nature that will appear before you.

Important

This activity can only be undertaken in favourable weather conditions, which will be evaluated by our partner and confirmed 48 hours in advance. In case of poor weather conditions we will immediately contact you and propose an alternative activity or a refund of the price paid.

This activity is subject to our operators’ availability. We have a large selection of collaborators capable of leading this activity, but if on the day you selected we do not have operators availabile, we will immediately, or in any case within 48 hours of booking, suggest an alternative activity you might wish to do or the choice of receiving a full refund of the price paid.

The times shown in the program are indicative and may vary according to your requests or those of the other participants in the group. These are always and in any case previously agreed with our staff or with the guide.

Always communicate through Exploring Umbria to ensure you receive the best bespoke service to suits your requirements. In order to protect your payments, never transfer money via channels outside the Exploring Umbria website.

Cancellation policy

If you cancel the reservation for this activity up to 24 hours before the event we will refund you 100% of the price.

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