If You Need Somewhere to Go in Italy
Assisi at Dusk If you happen to find yourself in Italy and you've just finished with Florence and are not sure where to go next .... the tiny walled hilltop Umbrian town of Assisi is definitely a plan.
And was our plan in the late 1990's and then again 2003.
Settled around 1000 BC and converted to Christianity by Bishop Rufino in 238 AD, Assisi of course is best known for St Francis and the order he founded there in 1208.
But best here is just wandering about, maybe with just a couple of essential tick-offs, such as the Church of St Francis with it's unbelievably moving (seriously!) Giotto frescos ...
Giotto 'St Francis - Sermon to the Birds' (1297-1299) Giotto - 'Death of St Francis' ... and the church of St Clare on the main town square ...
... which is really important for being next to the shop that sells the most fabulously delicious chocolate in the entire known universe - nooooo kidding!
Santa Chiara in fact is still in residence but is now rather scary (and dusty and crumbly) in her gilt and glass box in the crypt. As I was contemplating the venerable remains, a black-habited nun popped out of absolutely no-where (for a donation) and scared at least six month's growth out of me. No kidding!
It's good to start the wandering about bit in that main square ...
... and then just let fantasy guide you ...
Detail jumps out in endless photo ops ...
The many views out of town ...
... will eventually lead you up to the ruined castle over-looking Assisi ...
Okay, I've now worked myself into a seriously nostalgic mood - only remedied I suspect ... by another trip to Assisi.