Assisi, Umbria - Italy

The past couple of days, Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13, we traveled to Assisi. The school took us on this trip as part of our orientation. It was a great experience. We were tired at first because we had just arrived in Rome at the campus on Thursday but were pleasantly surprised by Assisi.

A little about the town of Assisi: Assisi was the home of both Saint Francis and Saint Clare. Each has a church dedicated to them in the town. Additionally, the remains of both saints reside in Assisi. The town is located on a high hill in Umbria and built into existing slopes and curves. Most roads are narrow and brick and ascend or descend as they wind through the town. Some streets for cars exist, but most people seemed to walk throughout Assisi, up and down steep hills and lengthy stairways. Several structures in the town date back 2000 years. These old buildings have had some repair in some cases, but most of Assisi is very old.

At Assisi we took guided tours and explored on our own as well. The churches are amazing. The walls inside are lined with beautiful frescos. The Saint Francis cathedral is actually a building of three churches, one built on top of the other. We saw the tombs of both Saint Clare and Saint Francis. The town houses several other churches as well which each have different character. Under the church of Saint Clare, an ancient Roman road was excavated and glass plates allow you to view the stone path.

We also enjoyed the other buildings in Assisi and the great view. We hiked up several hills to look over the countryside and the town. It was fun to get a little lost in Assisi and just explore by walking through any side street. On a few occasions we traveled without a particular destination in mind but rather just to explore. The people of Assisi are friendly and kind. Many townspeople work in local shops and restaurants. Our experience in Assisi was great and we look forward to more adventures like this in the near future.