Assisi and St. Francis (Driver Only/Self Touring)

Just before arriving in Assisi, you will first visit Basilica Santa Maria Degli Angeli (located in the town by the same name, Santa Maria Degli Angeli), which is respected as the place of St. Francis' death.
Inside the grand Baroque basilica are two small structures: the Capella del Transito and the Porziuncola.
The Cappella del Transito is the small room in which St. Francis died on October 3, 1226. Above the small altar in a glass case is the rope belt of Saint Francis.

The Basilica of St. Francis consists of an upper level and a lower level, known as the Upper Basilica and the Lower Basilica.
Both are decorated with many beautiful frescoes by late medieval painters including Cimabue, Giotto di Bondone, Simone Martini,
and Pietro Lorenzetti. The basilica was begun immediately after St. Francis’ canonization in 1228.

Piazza del Comune, the town's main square, built on the site of the Roman forum, is the ideal place to enjoy a bite but also visit the church of St Mary Above Minerva.
It was built in the 1st Century BC, and when a female statue was discovered there, it was thought to be a temple of the pagan goddess Minerva.
However, at a later date the discovery of a votive plaque to Hercules makes it more likely that the temple is dedicated to him. In 1539 the inner sanctum of the temple was transformed into the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, with further alterations added in the Baroque style during the 17th century.

In the Basilica of St. Clare you can see her preserved body on display in a crypt, with a layer of wax covering her face. Nearby are garments worn by both Saint Francis and Saint Clare, and some locks of Saint Clare’s hair that Saint Francis cut off when she joined his ministry.
This basilica is Gothic in style and was built between 1257 and 1260.

Just outside of Assisi, we will visit the San Damiano convent and church. This simple yet sacred place is where Saint Francis received his calling in 1205 and where Saint Clare died in 1253.
After hearing a voice telling him to “Rebuild My Church”, Saint Francis reconstructed the little church with his own hands, having literally followed the message that he was given.
Saint Clare founded the order of ‘Poor Clares’ here in 1212 and lived there most of her life.