I am back from my trips to Assisi and Bologna. Both were very nice in different ways. Given the collection of regional trains and eurostar connections I was making, I had anticipated some difficulties with the trains. Due to good luck, I think, this was not the case.
I narrowly made my connection to Assisi in Foligno. I literally jumped off one train and onto another. If not, I would have wasted about 90 minutes at the train station for nothing. Assisi is located in a section of Italy called Umbria in the province of Perugia. It is very far removed from the chaos that typifies Rome and is a pilgramage site for Catholics.
The weather in Assisi was a bit rainy with patches of sun. I had packed my bag full of 2.5 days of clothes, 3 books, some papers and my lunch for Saturday and it was a bit on the heavy side. I took the bus up the hill into the old part of Assisi and toured the Basilica of San Francesco (St. Francis) first. You know the guy is important if they built two basilicas for him in addition to the various other monuments and the sanctuary of San Damiano outside the city.
I think St. Francis is one of the few major church figures I can actually respect. First for his rather liberal approach to the earth and its environs and second for his recognition that the bible is not to be taken literally (this is a guy who read it in Latin too, before it had been re-worked and re-translated about a hundred times).
The churches in Assisi are quite beautiful because they are so simple. They are constructed of pink and white locally quarried stones and feature a variety of frescoes rather than detailed and ornate gothic ornamentation.
I hiked up to top of the hill where a thousand year old fort called Rocco Maggiore (~major fort) sits at the top overlooking the entire countryside. It was quite a hike with all my gear and I almost did not go inside for the the 3 euro ticket. I am glad I did. The view from the towers was amazing. This was one of the cooler castles I have visited outside of the several I saw in the UK.
I see no way the an opposing army could take the city (or at least the fort) without great losses. Not only can you see everything from 360 degree around, but the surrounding hillsides are very steep. I suppose the only method would be to barricade the city and starve the people into surrender. I have several pictures of the view below.
The other major saint buried in Assisi is San Chiara (Saint Clare) who is interred at the Chiesa S. Chiara. I have some nice pictures of the that church from the outside. I spent part of the afternoon re-reading the Aeneid in the Piazza S. Chiara
My hotel room in Assisi had actually Roman ruins in the floor. There was a large glass panel exposing a portion of Roman wall. This is common in many areas of Assisi. I also had a nice Umbrian dinner of pasta straggozi di Norcia style with a second course of sausage di Norcia. For desert, a pistachio cannoli at a pasticerria.
My trip to Bologna and a brief lunch stop in Florence will have to wait until later this week. For now, here are the Assisi pictures.
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