Travelling to Italy: Assisi

Going to nice regional places in Italy like Senigallia and around Fabriano was a really nice thing to do on a trip as it gave a sense of non-tourist dense Italy like Rome or Milan. Many people to this day wonder why I picked Marche of all places to visit, but I don't regret it as it was an experience that I won't forget as it was different and very homely because I was staying with a family. Being in rural Italy was a real cool experience because I got to see the culture of the

town and area, 
One of the places I got to experience was the quaint but religiously significant town of Assisi. Assisi is an hour drive from Fabriano, in the Marche Region and 2 hours away from Florence and Rome. Assisi is in the provence of Perugia in the Umbria region of Italy, bang smack in the middle of Italy.
The story behind Assisi is that it is the birthplace of St. Francis (San Francesco), the man behind the the Franciscan order, St. Ciara (San Chiara) who is woman behind the Poor Sisters order and Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. All these religiously iconic saints were said to have been born, lived and done their duty to god in Assisi. In total, there are 7 saints who are said to have been from Assisi.

One morning, deciding what to do in Italy was a surprisingly difficult thing to figure out. Many options were thrown out on the table. Eventually it was decided to go to Assisi. I never heard of the place before but I was trusting that it would be a cool place to visit and a cool place to see the sites, in the heart of Italy. My friend, his father and I got in the car pretty early in the morning and headed off to make Assisi in good time and have enough time to come back home. The day that was in it was very warm and sunny, perfect really for traveling. 
The drive to Assisi was really nice. There wasn't a cloud to be seen and the landscape was amazing. The hills that had houses on them really intrigued me, it was like they were suspended in gravity from falling off the hill. If it were me, I'd be having a panic attack every time I got home. The road was in between valleys for a majority of the way so it made the drive very relaxing and didn't heat up the car too much, so no passing out from heat exhaustion (Yay!).
Driving into the area, you could tell which was Assisi. The Basilica di San Francesco was easily recognizable. From a distance, it was a magnificent looking building and couldn't wait to take a look around it. Driving in, it was actually quite busy. Buses of tourists disembarking and walking around in a group. Typical tourists with their hats, glasses and fanny packs. So it was difficult to find a parking space. But eventually going to the underground carpark. We went down so many levels I was wondering when we'd meet Satan. Thankfully we didn't and found a parking spot and I was getting kind of energetic to see this new place.
Coming out of the carpark was like a slap in the face with heat. I kind of lost my breath going from cold carpark to summer sun. But looking around at the tourists and the views of Perugia was absolutely amazing. Hoping for a better view, my friend said that Assisi, you walk up the way so I would get a better view eventually. Walking up the streets was actually the coolest thing. Seeing the old style Italian houses and how tall they were. They actually curved, they

were so tall. It was so unique and it felt Italian to me! Walking up these small streets, it was our mission to first go to the Basilica di San Francesco, the main guy of Assisi.
Mesmerized by the whole place, I didn't notice the walk up to the Basilica. Watching the different people on the streets and the cool souvenirs. We came up the entrance of the basilica which was an amazing building, Truly it was spectacular. The whole design of the place and the architecture was so cool. Going in, it was amazing. The ancient feel to the building and the whole history. The different artists that worked on the building and how uniquely designed it was, was one of a kind. It was so different to Irish artistry and from anything I've seen. Walking around, you can feel the depth of history and how much the building has seen and how significant it was.
Our next stop was to the Basilica di Santa Chiara. The woman behind the Poor

Sisters was woman steeped in history and her tomb lay in the basilica. The church dates back to 1260 and apparently her remains lay in the earth under the alter of the church. The place was very ominous. I think it was mainly due to the fact that her remains were there. It kind chilled me out. The place itself was really really cool a place that's over 700 years old and preserved so well, it was really amazing to see how cool it was and even the way to see her the area where her remains lay was a cool sight to see.
And then came the key point of my day. Food. The only constant in my life that keeps me content. Being in Italy, breakfast, lunch and dinner was on another level. So of course I had to go and have lasagne. At this point, it was the only Italian food I hadn't tried in Italy. We walked around a little plaza, deciding where to eat. We came across this nice place: Hosteria terra Chiama. It was a

lovely quaint place and not too many tourists were there, thankfully. The menu, all of its items were just as nice as the others. But lasagne was the only Italian dish I hadn't tried in Italy, so I had to order that.
Being in a place of Religious importance, the food was a godsend! Like, a miracle to my taste buds. I can't even describe the emotions I was feeling I was eating. It was a lot to comprehend. All I know is that it was amazing.
The food was gone in minutes, it was just so good. And it was so well priced too! Like, 6 or 7€ for a nice slice of lasagne with a drink. It was heavenly! After

lunch, it was time to wash it down with a nice coffee under the sun. We came to this nice place in a plaza called "Bar Minerva Assisi" which was really amazing because it was outside the Temple of Minerva (Roman Goddess of Craft and Wisdom). We sat and drank a coffee in the unwinding day. Just ahead of us was a guy making chalk painting on the ground. The painting was of the Virgin Mary and it was spectacular. Walking around this courtyard were a lot of Franciscan monks, which were so cool to see. 
As the day came to an end, I made sure to get some souvenirs for my grandparents. Being in a place so religious, it'd be a sin if I didn't get them something! So picking up a couple of bits and pieces, it was time to set off. On the way down to the car, I looked out at a high point and the view was one of a kind. Looking across the heart of Italy. I've never seen anything to compare to it yet. It was really something amazing. And that was our day in Assisi, getting back in the car and heading back as the sun was starting to come down. It was a perfect day and probably the kickstart into loving tourism I got!
*Pic Credit: ciaoumbria.it, italia.it, marcovoleri.it, geoplan.it, homemadeitalianrecipes.com, assisiitaly.ca*
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Leave a comment if you've ever been to Assisi or a place that left you speechless!
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