The 9 Must-Visit Places on a Pilgrimage to Assisi Italy
Assisi is the town of St Francis of Assisi, St Claire of Assisi, and Blessed Carlo Acutis. Due to this, Assisi is a popular Catholic pilgrimage destination. About 5 million people visit Assisi every year. I am happy to say, I was one of them.
I flew to Rome Fiumicino airport, picked up a rental car at the airport, and made my pilgrimage to Assisi independently. I visited all the important Catholic sites in Assisi.
I am happy to share a round-up of the must-see Catholic sites in Assisi for all who are planning a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy.
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Assisi in Umbria, central Italy, is one of the most popular Catholic pilgrimage destinations.
Beautiful Assisi is the town of St Francis of Assisi, the saint patron of Italy and one of the most venerated Catholic saints. Besides that, Assisi is a World Heritage City. It is a medieval city of enormous beauty and cultural and religious significance.
However, Assisi is not only the town of St Francis of Assisi. It is also the town of St Claire of Assisi and Blessed Carlo Acutis. Their tombs in Assisi are popular Catholic pilgrimage sites. Thus, a pilgrimage to Assisi is a must-do in a lifetime for all devout Catholics.
St Francis of Assisi is the most famous son of Assisi. He lived in Assisi at the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century. He was the first-known stigmata saint who got and lived with the five wounds of Jesus Christ.
St Francis of Assisi has been among the top influential Catholic saints for centuries. His life has been inspiring people into modern times.
St Francis of Assisi left the comfortable life he enjoyed as a merchant’s son and took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to serve God and humanity. He founded Franciscan Orders: the Order of Friar Minors, the Order of Saint Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis. These orders have the largest membership within the Catholic Church today.
Among many ventures in his life, St Francis made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the 13th century. St Francis met the sultan Melek al-Kamel, who governed the Holy Land then. He impressed the sultan, who entrusted St Francis and his followers to manage the Christian sites of the Holy Land. Hence, the Order of Friar Minors has kept the Custody of the Holy Land since 1217.
As I said, St Francis of Assisi has influenced many people who chose to follow him.
St Claire of Assisi was his first female follower. She left her privileged aristocratic life to live in poverty and contemplation. Among many people, the life of St Francis influenced the life of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a so-called 21st-century Influencer of God. Today, the tomb of Carlo Acutis in Assisi is also a pilgrimage site.
Thus, go to Assisi and visit the tombs of St Francis of Assisi, St Claire of Assisi, and Blessed Carlo Acutis.
Must-See Sites on a Pilgrimage to Assisi Italy
The Catholic pilgrimage sites in Assisi:
1. Basilica of St Francis of Assisi – with the tomb of St Francis of Assisi
2. Basilica of Saint Claire – with the tomb of St Claire of Assisi
3. Church of St Mary Major – with the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis
4. Cathedral of San Rufino – the place where St Francis and St Claire were baptized
5. The New Church – the place where St Francis’s birth house once stood
6. Santa Maria degli Angeli di Assisi and Porziuncola – the place where the Order of Friar Minor was founded and St Francis died
7. San Damiano church – the place where St Francis got his calling to renew the Catholic church, and where later St Claire lived and died
8. Church of Rivotorto – the place where St Franicis lived with his followers
9. Carceri Hermitage – a hermitage of St Francis
1. The Basilica of St Francis of Assisi
The Basilica of St Francis of Assisi (Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi) is the first destination of any pilgrimage to Assisi. It was my first stop on my pilgrimage to Assisi, too.
The basilica holds the tomb of St Francis of Assisi.
The Basilica of St Francis of Assisi is among the most beautiful churches in Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Basilica is a huge complex that includes two churches: the so-called Lower church and the Upper church.
The Basilica of St Francis of Assisi has spectacular medieval frescoes. They are some of the most beautiful in Italy and beyond. The greatest late medieval painters, like Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, and Pietro Lorenzetti, are their authors. These frescoes are outstanding examples of medieval Italian art, like Giotto’s The Legend of St. Francis and Cimabue’s frescoes of the scenes of the New Testament in the Upper church.
The tomb of St Francis of Assisi is in the Lower church. The saints’ remains are in a glass urn within the stone tomb. The tombs of the four most faithful companions of St Francis (the tombs of Brother Rufino, Brother Angelo, Brother Masseo, and Brother Leo) are in the four corners around the tomb of St Francis. Also, the tomb with the urn of Jacoba dei Settesoli (aka Brother Jacoba, the most faithful female friend of St Francis, who also stood bedside at the hour of the death of St Francis) is close to the tomb of St Francis.
The Basilica of St Francis of Assisi is a place of prayer and artistic admiration. Plan to spend at least 2 hours visiting the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi.
PS: Taking photos in the Basilica is forbidden.
Check out this Small Group Tour of Assisi and St. Francis Basilica and Private Walking Tour including St. Francis Basilica if you wish to get expert insights into Assisi and the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi.
Basilica of St Francis of Assisi opening hours:
The Upper Church: 8.30 am – 6 pm (winter); 8.30 am – 7 pm (summer)
The Lower Church: 6 am – 6 pm (winter); 6 am – 7 pm (summer)
2. Basilica of Saint Claire of Assisi
The Basilica of Saint Claire (Basilica di Santa Chiara) in Assisi holds the tomb with the remains of St Claire of Assisi. The tomb of St Claire in the Basilica of St Claire of Assisi is a popular pilgrimage site in Assisi, Italy.
St Claire of Assisi was the first female follower of St Francis of Assisi. She was born into a wealthy family in Assisi at the end of the 12th century. She left her comfortable aristocratic life, went to a convent, took a vow of poverty, and dedicated her life to contemplation and God.
St Francis of Assisi and St Claire of Assisi founded the Order of Poor Ladies. This order is also called the Poor Clares and the Clarisses. The order has more than 20,000 Clarisse nuns worldwide today.
The Basilica of Saint Claire in Assisi is a monumental complex with a church and a convent.
The Basilica of Saint Claire is about a 20-minute walk from the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. Taking photos of the tomb of St Claire is not allowed.
The Basilica of Saint Claire’s opening hours:
Monday – Sunday: 6.30 am-noon and 2 pm – 6 pm
3. Church of St Mary Major
The resting body of blessed Carlo Acutis lies in the church of St Mary Major (or Santa Maria Maggiore in Italian) in Assisi.
The church of St Mary Major in Assisi is also called the Sanctuary of the Renunciation.
It is a simple-looking church that dates back to the 11th -12th century. The church was the original Assisi’s cathedral. However, that title was passed later to the church of San Rufino.
The Church of St Mary Major is a famous pilgrimage place in Assisi today because of the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis. His body lies in a glass coffin in the Church of St Mary Major in Assisi.
Carlo Acutis was declared Servant of God in 2016, Venerable in 2018, and Blessed in 2020. If you wish to see his resting body, head to the church of St Mary Major in Assisi.
The church of St Mary Major is a 5-minute walk from the Basilica of St Claire of Assisi and a 15-minute walk away from the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi.
The church of St Mary Major opening hours:
daily 8.30 am – 7 pm (Easter – Nov)
daily 8.30 am – 5 pm (Nov – Easter)
4. Cathedral of San Rufino
The Cathedral of San Rufino (Cattedrale di San Rufino di Assisi) is the baptismal church of St Francis of Assisi and St Claire. Pilgrims can see their baptismal font inside the cathedral today.
Besides getting baptized there, St Francis also preached in the Cathedral. Pilgrims to Assisi can see the Oratorio di San Francesco, placed next to the sacristy.
The Cathedral of San Rufino dates back to 1029. The cathedral is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture. However, the interior changed in the 16th and 17th centuries. The cathedral has outstanding examples of Baroque art. The finest example is the Baroque art of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.
The Cathedral got its name after Saint Rufinus, a bishop of Assisi and a martyr from the 3rd century. A museum and a crypt with the Roman sarcophagus that holds the relics of San Rufino are next to the Cathedral of San Rufino.
The Cathedral of San Rufino is 7 minutes from the Basilica of St Claire of Assisi.
The Cathedral of San Rufino hours:
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 10 am – 1 pm and 3 pm – 6 pm
Sat: 10 am – 6 pm
Sun: 11 am – 6 pm
Wed: closed
5. The New Church in Assisi
The New Church, or the Chiesa Nuova in Italian, is built on the birthsite of St Francis of Assisi.
The house of Pietro di Bernardone, the father of St Francis, stood there once. The altar in the church is on the site where the room of St Francis was. Today, pilgrims can also see a tiny hole where St Francis’ father imprisoned him once.
The New Church was built in the Renaissance style in the 17th century. A museum with a Franciscan library adjoins the church.
The New Church is a 4-minute walk from the Cathedral of San Rufino.
The New Church opening hours:
daily: 6.30 am-noon and 2.30 pm – 6 pm (summer)
daily: 6.30 am-noon and 230 pm – 5 pm (winter)
6. St Damiano church and monastery
The St Damiano church an important Catholic pilgrimage site in Assisi. St Francis heard the voice: Francis, go and repair my church, which, as you see, is all in ruins!, while praying before a wooden crucifix in St Damiano church. This wooden cross is in the Basilica of Saint Claire today.
San Damiano complex in Assisi includes a church and a monastery. The monastery was the first monastery of the Order of Poor Ladies.
St Claire lived with her Poor Claires sisters there from 1212 until 1253, when the saint died. A cross in the dormitory of the convent marks the place where St Claire died.
San Damiano is about 1 km from the historic center of Assisi. You can easily reach it on foot, by public bus, or by car. There is a small free parking place next to the complex. I walked from the center of the Old City of Assisi to St Damiano church. It is a 15-minute-long but beautiful downhill walk.
The San Damiano church-monastery complex is free to enter.
San Damiano hours:
Monday – Sunday: 10 am-noon and 2 pm – 4.30 pm (winter)
Monday – Sunday: 10 am-noon and 2 pm – 6 pm (summer)
7. The Sanctuary of Rivotorto
The church of Santa Maria in Rivotorto (Santuario del Sacro Tugurio di Rivotorto) is a church that stands on the site where once a tiny stone hut, in which St Francis started his ascetic life in absolute poverty, stood.
St Francis lived with his followers in the hut from 1209 to 1211. St Francis walked with his companions from the hut in Rivotorto to Rome to meet the Pope to establish the Franciscan Order.
The sanctuary as we see it today was built in the 19th century. The sentence Hic primordia Fratrum Minorum (Here were the beginnings of the Friars Minor) stands above the main door of the new sanctuary.
The Franciscan Sanctuary of Rivotorto is on the outskirts of Assisi, about 4 km from the historic center of Assisi and about 4 km from Santa Maria degli Angeli. You will most likely need a car to reach the sanctuary. I drove there. There is a big parking lot next to the sanctuary.
The Franciscan Sanctuary of Rivotorto opening hours:
Mon-Sat: 7 am – 12.15 pm and 2.30 pm -7.15 pm
Sun: 7.30 am – 12.15 pm
8. Basilica of St Mary of the Angels & the Porzincula
The Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, or the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Italian, is the most important church for the Franciscan Orders.
St Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscan Order there. St Francis of Assisi died there, too.
Within the Basilica of St Mary of Angels is the famous Porziuncola. Porziuncola is a church within the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. Yes, it is a small church within a colossal basilica!
St Francis founded the Franciscan Order in the Porziuncula in 1205. St Francis sent his first friars to preach from Porzincula.
In 1216, the Pardon of Assisi, also called the Great Indulgence of the Porziuncola, was proclaimed in the Porzinciula.
The Great Indulgence of the Porziuncola is a plenary indulgence that can be obtained in Franciscan churches from midday on August 1 to midnight on August 22 each year.
Also, St. Francis died in the Chapel of the Transit in today’s Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli on October 3, 1226.
The Basilica of S. Maria degli Angeli was built from 1569 to 1679 and restored in 1840 after the earthquake in 1832. The Basilica of S. Maria degli Angeli is one of the largest churches in Italy today.
The Basilica of S. Maria degli Angeli is about 4 km from the historic center of Assisi. The Basilica of S. Maria degli Angeli is so massive that there is no way to miss it. There are huge parking lots around. Some of them are paid. But you can find free parking places in the street behind the church!
The Basilica of S. Maria degli Angeli opening hours:
Daily: 7.30 am – 6 pm (for tourist visits)
9. The Carceri Hermitage
The Carceri Hermitage (Eremo delle Carceri) is one of the most beautiful places in Assisi. It is also an important site related to the life of St Francis of Assisi.
I must say, it is my favorite place in Assisi. The Carceri Hermitage is a place of sublime serenity in the deep woods!
The Carceri Hermitage was raised over the ancient caves that Saint Francis and his companions used during their time. The caves are in the deep oak woods of Mount Subasio outside of Assisi. Carceri caves were a prayer refuge for early Christian hermits. St Francis and his followers prayed and contemplated in the solitude and serenity there in the 13th century. A small convent was built over the cave where they prayed.
Today’s Carceri Hermitage is a building complex with a 15th-century oratory, a small friary, the Chapel of the Madonna, the Grotto of St. Francis (the site where he slept and prayed), and the Devil’s Hole (in which St Francis crushed a demon who tempted Brother Rufino).
The Carceri Hermitage, or Eremo delle Carceri in Italian, was named after the chapel dedicated to Santa Maria delle Carceri. The name ‘careci’ comes from the word ‘prison’ since these small cave rooms appear as prisons.
The Carceri Hermitage is about 4 km from the historic center of Assisi. You need a car to get to the Carceri Hermitage from the Old City of Assisi.
The Carceri Hermitage opening hours:
daily 6.30 am – 6 pm (winter)
daily 6.30 am – 7 pm (summer)
Sunday: 7.30 am – 6 pm (winter)
Sun: 7.30 am – 7 pm (summer)
Where is Assisi
Assisi is in the region of Umbria in central Italy. Assisi is 28 km from Perugia, the capital of Umbria. Assisi is 180 km from Rome.
How to get to Assisi
San Francesco d’Assisi Airport in Perugia is the closest airport to Assisi. Assisi is only a 25-minute drive from the airport.
Assisi is also 1 hour by bus from Perugia. Assisi is 40 minutes by train from Perugia, too.
Assisi is 2 hours and 30 minutes from Rome Fiumicino Airport. I flew into Rome Fiumicino Airport, picked up a rental car at the airport, and drove to Assisi. I made a pilgrimage to Assisi and St Rita of Cascia on my Umbria road trip.
Rental cars are affordable when renting online. They are always cheaper than renting directly at airports. Check out rental cars at Rome Fiumicino Airport and San Francesco d’Assisi Airport in Perugia
Assisi is 2 hours and 30 min by train from Rome Tiburtina station. You can visit Assisi on a private day tour from Rome
Where to stay in Assisi
Hotel Fontebella – is a beautiful 4-star hotel in the center of Assisi with private parking and buffet breakfast. The hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi and a 10-minute walk from the Basilica of St Claire of Assisi.
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We are in Assisi right now and your post has been so helpful! Thanks for taking the time to write this