Umbria & Le Marche - Italy - page 1165

12 Residenza D'Epoca San Crispino D4

13 St Anthony's Guesthouse F4

Eating

14 La Locanda del Podestà B1

15 Osteria dei Priori C3

16 Pizzeria da Andrea E3

17 Ristorante Metastasio B2

18 Trattoria Pallotta D3

Drinking & Nightlife

19 Bibenda Assisi E3

20 Gran Caffè E4

Sights

Basilica di San Francesco
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP

CHURCH

(Piazza di San Francesco; upper church 8.30am-6.45pm summer, to 6pm winter, lower church
6am-6.45pm summer, to 6pm winter) Visible for miles around, the Basilica di San
Francesco is the jewel in the spiritual and architectural crown of Assisi's Unesco World
Heritage ensemble. For almost six centuries, its twinset of churches have been a beacon to
knee-crawling, blister-footed pilgrims, brown-robed friars, Italian art lovers and saintly
sightseers.
The half-light and architectural restraint of the Romanesque lower church best embod-
ies the ascetic, introspective spirit of Franciscan life, while the brighter upper church is a
Gothic wonder, containing an elaborate tableau of frescoes. Divine works by Sienese and
Florentine masters like Giotto, Cimabue, Pietro Lorenzetti and Simone Martini represent
an artistic weather-vane for stylistic developments across the ages.
The basilica has its own information office ( 075 819 00 84; 9.15am-noon & 2.15-5.30pm
Mon-Sat ), opposite the entrance to the lower church. Here you can schedule an hour-long