⛪ Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (Exterior & Lower Square)
📍 Location: Piazza San Francesco
💰 Entry to exterior: Free | Church interior also free, museum has a fee
What Makes It Special:
Rising proudly at the edge of the hill, the Basilica di San Francesco is one of the most important religious buildings in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s actually two churches in one — Upper and Lower — built in harmonious Romanesque-Gothic style.
Admire its white and pink limestone façade, rose window, and the grand staircase sweeping toward the Piazza Inferiore, where pilgrims gather in hushed reverence.
✨ Secret Tip:
Stand at the Belvedere terrace just outside at sunset. You’ll witness the church glowing gold against the Umbrian Valley, with birds circling its bell tower in silence. A free spiritual experience.
🏛️ Temple of Minerva
📍 Location: Piazza del Comune
💰 Entry: Free to view exterior | Church inside is also free
What Makes It Special:
This Roman temple has stood since the 1st century BC, making it the oldest building in Assisi. Its six soaring Corinthian columns are completely intact, their fluted shafts weathered by 2,000 years of sun and rain. Today, the temple serves as a church — the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva — blending classical Roman proportions with a Baroque interior.
✨ Secret Tip:
Visit after dark. The temple is beautifully lit at night, and street performers often play music nearby, turning the square into an impromptu open-air stage.
🧱 Rocca Maggiore Fortress
📍 Location: Hilltop above Assisi, accessible on foot from Via della Rocca
💰 Entry to exterior: Free | Museum/tower access has fee
What Makes It Special:
Though entry to the tower interior requires a ticket, walking the grounds of Rocca Maggiore is entirely free and immensely rewarding. This 12th-century fortress dominates the skyline, its stone ramparts and lookout points offering some of the most breathtaking views in Umbria.
✨ Secret Tip:
Head there for sunrise — the golden hour light catches the rolling hills, and you might have the entire castle wall walk to yourself. Bring a snack and have a quiet breakfast on the ramparts.
🏛️ Cathedral of San Rufino
📍 Location: Piazza San Rufino
💰 Entry: Free
What Makes It Special:
This Romanesque cathedral, with its distinctive rose windows and sculpted façade, is where both St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized. The symmetry of its white stonework, twin bell towers, and detailed lions at the base of the columns make it a gem of 12th-century architecture.
Inside, you’ll find an airy, simple nave that reflects the humble values of the Franciscan spirit.
✨ Secret Tip:
Walk to the crypt — also free to enter — to see remnants of the original Roman cistern and early Christian mosaics few tourists notice.
🏚️ Via San Francesco & Medieval Streetscapes
📍 Location: Leading from Piazza del Comune to the Basilica
💰 Entry: Free (just walk!)
What Makes It Special:
This sloping road is the beating heart of medieval Assisi. Walk it slowly, admiring the arched alleyways, flower-covered balconies, hand-carved stone door frames, and wooden shutters that have stood untouched for centuries.
Many of the homes and shops here are built with the signature Subasio stone, giving the whole city its pink glow at sunset.
✨ Secret Tip:
Veer off to Vicolo degli Archi, one of the most photogenic backstreets in town — you’ll often find yourself completely alone, enveloped in ancient quiet.
⛪ Basilica of Santa Chiara
📍 Location: Piazza Santa Chiara
💰 Entry: Free
What Makes It Special:
Dedicated to St. Clare, the founder of the Poor Clares, this basilica features a minimalist Gothic façade built from white and rose stone. The flying buttresses and elegant arches give it a distinct silhouette, especially from the garden terrace that overlooks the valley.
Don’t miss the view from behind the church — it’s one of the most serene in Assisi.
✨ Secret Tip:
Time your visit just before Vespers (around 6 PM) to hear the nuns singing — a heavenly soundtrack to match the architecture.
🚶 Bonus: Roman Amphitheater Neighborhood
📍 Location: Via Anfiteatro Romano
💰 Entry: Free
What Makes It Special:
This little-known residential area wraps around the oval footprint of a Roman amphitheater, whose stones were repurposed into houses. Walking here is like stepping into a secret village frozen in time.
✨ Secret Tip:
Look for the archway built from actual Roman blocks — no signs, no fanfare, just timeless beauty hiding in plain sight.
Hungry for more?
Enjoy our curated selection of special travel products with discounts, while you wait for your next flight!
TOP TRAVEL & FOOD ® team is made of tireless Expert Curators team to reveal “secret spots told by locals” just for you. They search for incredible destinations, dream accommodations, best flavors, memorable events and excellence services, to offer the target audience of readers and partners the greatest coverage and the best achievement of results, using the most modern technologies and expertise in the sector.
All our Review´s standards are covered with the go through careful selection for evaluation,
making a Exclusive selection list that caters to criteria used internationally. Articles and Exclusive Spot Reviews are conceptualized to transmit readers how was each experience with a brand, product or service. We cover the segments related to Tourism, Lifestyle, Gastronomy and Services, besides any others related to the city that we consider relevant for broadcast. We permanently stay connected to the ecosystem of Local Hubs. adding direct value to the Business Market.
TOP TRAVEL & FOOD MAGAZINE 