Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Day 4 – Assisi - Monday, January 6th 2014

Another early start saw us on the road to Assisi. Today has been a complete change from yesterday, instead of grey and wet skies we have a blue and sunny outlook. Although the wind was cold the much better weather is much appreciated.


Today is about exploring the birth and burial place of St Francis of Assisi. It is a small town located in the countryside of Umbria. Although it functions as a modern town, it is a beautiful time capsule from the 14th century. 

A view from the city of Assisi

More views of the Umbrian countryside

Our first activity was to climb up the incredibly steep road into the city and on to the double church of St Francis. This building is literally one church built on top of another earlier church. The lower church contains a crypt where St Francis is buried and the top church is decorated by a fresco painted by Giotto.

The group in front of the twin churches of St Francis

Unfortunately we can’t show you any of the beautiful interiors as it was forbidden to take photographs inside, but we were treated to the beautiful singing of a boys choir in the lower church as we entered because a mass was in progress. The church also has a bell tower which contains many bells. Thus when the mass ended we were excited to hear the pealing of these bells.

Once the tour was over the party broke up into several groups. Some went shopping for souvenirs and some of us went “adventure walking”. We took the small mini bus (a full size one would not fit in the narrow streets) up to the top of the hill and then walked down through the narrow Medieval streets of this beautiful town.

A view in Assisi

Some of us in one of the streets during our “Adventure Walk”

Matthew Lane and his Mum

Sometimes “adventure Walking requires us to climb up to have a look at the view

One of the many Shrines we saw throughout he town

Everyone enjoyed their afternoon and will have many stories to take home about sights seen, hills and steps climbed, treasures seen and purchased.
We met the bus at the bottom of the hill and were taken to our hotel for the night.

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