From Tuscany it is a short drive into the neighbouring Umbria, a region characterized by hills, mountains, valleys and historical towns. Our day trip there included a visit to two of these towns; Orvieta and Assisi, along with stunning vistas of the Italian countryside. This 11 hour excursion was also booked with Ciao Florence tours.
Our first stop was Orvieta, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of these cliffs surrounded by defensive walls built of the same stone. Our time there was short but we visited their Duomo (which were beautiful in every small town we visit) followed by a picnic lunch in a small palazzo. Given more time we would have loved to see their archaeological museum and other sites attesting to their Etruscan roots, dating back centuries, containing many artifacts discovered in underground caves.
Next we made our way to Assisi, known for being the birthplace of St. Francis, who founded the Order of Friars Minor in that town in 1208, and of St. Clare of Assisi (Chiara d’Offreducci), who, with St. Francis, founded the Order of Poor Ladies, which later became the Order of Poor Clares after her death.
From the bus parking lot there is an escalator that will take you to the top of this incredibly beautiful hill town. Our walking tour, with an excellent local guide, started at Piazza Santa Chiara with a tour of the church and the tomb of Saint Clare. Begun in 1257 it inspires with its colourful rose window, 13th century frescoes and paintings, and a simple Gothic interior.
From there we took a leisurely stroll, mostly downhill, to the Basilica of Saint Francis, dedicated to the patron saint of Italy. Along the way we passed a number of stunning and historical points of interest, impressive scenery and timeless architecture.
The Basilica was constructed between 1228 and 1253 with an upper and lower basilica. We were able to tour both
along with the tomb and cloisters. It is a massive site. Inside there are a number of frescoes by late-medieval artists such as Giotto and Cimbue, mostly scenes of the life of St. Francis. It is undeniably one of the most beautiful places of worship we have ever seen, and we try to visit them all.
Assisi is one of the hill towns that I would love to return to for a longer visit. It is important that you are good with climbing in order to truly see all that this hill town has to offer.