Free Walking Tour Assisi: From Saint Francis to the Rocca

The Assisi Walking Tour, Six Stops in Order

1. 1

   Basilica di San Francesco

   

   You start where Saint Francis lies. Since 1230 this basilica has kept his mortal remains, and the building was wanted by Pope Gregory IX as a 'specialis ecclesia': he named it head and mother of the Franciscan order and handed it to the friars for good. The friars who looked after it and the Sacro Convento beside it, known as the 'friars of the community', went on to form the Order of Friars Minor Conventual.

   There are three parts to see, the Lower Church, the Upper Church and the tomb, and all of them are free. That makes the decision purely one of time: if Francis is your reason for coming to Assisi, give it a full hour, and even in a hurry go down to the tomb, because it is why the whole complex exists. At the altar above it, in 1585, the Franciscan pope Sixtus V founded the Archconfraternity of the Cordbearers.

   The basilica's rank grew over the centuries. Benedict XIV made it a patriarchal basilica and papal chapel in 1754, it has been called a papal basilica since 2006, and in 2000 it joined UNESCO's World Heritage list together with other Franciscan sites around Assisi. It belongs to the Holy See without being extraterritorial, so it has no diplomatic immunity.

   The walk to the Temple of Minerva is the longest leg of the route, 850 m and about 15 minutes. On the way you pass the Museo del Tesoro della Basilica, the Piazza Inferiore di San Francesco, the Pinacoteca Comunale and the Museo Civico e Foro Romano.

   Hours

   Daily: Lower Church 06:00–19:00 (Wed closing 18:00), Upper Church 08:30–18:45, Tomb 06:00–18:15 (summer / daylight saving time); winter: Lower Church 06:00–18:30 (Wed 17:30), Upper Church 08:30–18:00, Tomb 06:00–18:15

   Price

   Free

   Website

   sanfrancescoassisi.org ↗

   Location

   Basilica di San Francesco on Google Maps ↗

2. 2

   Temple of Minerva

   

   On Piazza del Comune a Roman temple front still stands where the Roman town of Asisium had it built around 30 BC, in the age of Augustus. It counts among the best preserved Roman temples of the ancient world. Look at the fluted Corinthian columns resting on tall square plinths, the beam and the pediment above: the porch is closed at the sides by the extended walls of the inner chamber, a type architects call prostyle 'in antis'.

   The name is a later mistake. A female statue found here made people think of Minerva, but a votive stone dedicated to Hercules turned up instead, so the temple was probably his. In the 16th century it became the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, and a look inside costs nothing.

   The tall tower next to it, the Torre del Popolo, is both the church's bell tower and the town's civic tower. It holds three bells; the largest, the 'Campana delle Laudi', hangs in the lower chamber and rings out fully only on special occasions. It is the second largest bell in Assisi.

   From the square it is just 140 m, about 2 minutes, to the Casa Natale di San Francesco.

   Local name

   Tempio di Minerva

   Hours

   Daily 08:00–22:00 (daylight saving time / summer); 08:00–20:00 (standard time / winter)

   Price

   Free

   Website

   visit-assisi.it ↗

   Location

   Temple of Minerva on Google Maps ↗

3. 3

   Casa Natale di San Francesco

   

   Here, tradition says, stood the house of Pietro di Bernardone, the father of Francis. What you see is the Chiesa Nuova, built in 1615 over the presumed birthplace and called the 'new church' because at the time it was the last one built in Assisi. Its late Renaissance dome is divided into coffers and crowned by a drum and a lantern.

   The church exists because of one visitor's dismay. In 1613 Antonio de Trejo, the Spanish Vicar General of the Franciscans, found the original house falling apart. With help from the Spanish Embassy in Rome and 6,000 ducats from King Philip III of Spain he bought it, Pope Paul V confirmed the purchase on 10 July 1615 and blessed the first stone, and on 20 September 1615 that stone was carried in procession from the Cathedral of San Rufino to the site. Brother Rufino di Cerchiara supervised the building and may also have designed it.

   Entry is free and a quarter of an hour is enough; for anyone following Francis's life it belongs on the walk right after his tomb. Mind the long lunch break, which is why this route passes in the morning.

   From here you follow the foundation stone's procession in reverse: 250 m and about 5 minutes to the Cattedrale di San Rufino.

   Hours

   Daily 08:00–12:30, 14:30–19:00 (summer); daily 08:00–12:30, 14:30–18:00 (winter)

   Price

   Free

   Location

   Casa Natale di San Francesco on Google Maps ↗

4. 4

   Cattedrale di San Rufino

   

   San Rufino is Assisi's cathedral, the main Catholic church of the town and mother church of the diocese of Assisi, Nocera Umbra and Gualdo Tadino. It stands on the square that shares its name, which began as a terrace laid out in Roman times. It may have been the forum of Roman Asisium, though no document proves it.

   The cathedral itself is free. Below and beside it, the crypt with the Diocesan Museum and the bell tower each charge admission. If you have already spent your hour on Francis and want one more layer of the town's church history, the crypt and museum are the better choice; climb the campanile only if you skip the Rocca and still want height.

   From the cathedral square it is only 110 m, about a minute, to the Rocca Maggiore.

   Hours

   Daily 07:30–19:00 (Cathedral); Museo Diocesano e Cripta: Mon–Fri 10:00–13:00, 15:00–18:00; Sat 10:00–18:00; Sun/holidays 11:00–18:00

   Price

   Free (Cathedral); Crypt & Diocesan Museum: 4 EUR full, 3 EUR / 2 EUR reduced; Campanile: 5 EUR

   Website

   assisimuseodiocesano.it ↗

   Location

   Cattedrale di San Rufino on Google Maps ↗

5. 5

   Rocca Maggiore

   

   After all the churches, this is the town's other face. For more than 800 years the Rocca Maggiore has dominated Assisi and the Tescio valley, and it was the strongest fortification for the defence of both.

   It is the one ticket on the main line of the route. Pay it if you want the military side of Assisi after a morning of saints, and allow about 45 minutes; if you came only for Francis or your budget is tight, look at the walls from outside and walk on.

   Santa Chiara is 250 m, about 3 minutes, from the fortress.

   Hours

   Daily 10:00–19:00 (April, May, September); 10:00–20:00 (June–August); 10:00–18:00 (March, October); 10:00–17:00 (November–February). Closed Dec 25. Ticket office closes 45 min prior.

   Price

   8 EUR full, 6 EUR reduced

   Website

   visit-assisi.it ↗

   Location

   Rocca Maggiore on Google Maps ↗

6. 6

   Basilica di Santa Chiara

   

   The walk ends at the Basilica di Santa Chiara, dedicated to Saint Clare and one of the most important places of worship in Assisi's historic centre. After starting at Francis's tomb, finishing at the church of Clare closes the circle of the town's two saints.

   Entry is free, and following the morning schedule you arrive in good time. Twenty minutes inside is enough to take it in before you head off for lunch.

   Hours

   Mon–Fri: 06:30–12:00 & 14:00–18:45 (daylight saving time) / 17:45 (standard time); Sat, Sun & select holidays: continuous 06:30–18:45 (daylight saving time) / 17:45 (standard time)

   Price

   Free

   Website

   assisisantachiara.it ↗

   Location

   Basilica di Santa Chiara on Google Maps ↗

Shorter Ways to Walk Assisi

The full route fits a morning, but two shorter versions work well if you have less time or want to keep to free entries.

Francis and the Roman square, all free

Stops: 1, 2, 3

For pilgrims and anyone with only part of a morning: the basilica with the tomb, the Temple of Minerva and Francis's birthplace. 990 m and about 17 minutes of walking, no tickets at all. With a proper hour in the basilica, count on just under two hours.

The upper town, without the basilica

Stops: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

For a second day, or if you have already seen the Basilica di San Francesco: from the temple through the birthplace and cathedral up to the fortress and on to Santa Chiara. 750 m and about 11 minutes of walking; the only ticket you need is the Rocca Maggiore, with San Rufino's crypt and bell tower as optional extras. Allow a little over two hours.

How Long Does Walking Assisi Take, with and without the Rocca?

The walking itself takes 27 minutes over 1.6 km; the time goes into the buildings. A full hour in the Basilica di San Francesco, a quarter of an hour each at the temple and the birthplace church, half an hour at San Rufino with the crypt, 45 minutes in the Rocca and 20 in Santa Chiara add up to about three and a half hours.

Start at 08:30 and you leave the basilica at 09:30, reach the temple at 09:45, the Casa Natale at about 10:00, the cathedral at about 10:20 and the Rocca just before 11:00. You arrive at Santa Chiara around 11:40 and are done shortly after noon, in time for lunch. The free three stop version takes just under two hours, the upper town version a little over two.

Before You Set Off in Assisi

• Start and finish: The recommended start is the Basilica di San Francesco, and the walk ends at the Basilica di Santa Chiara. You can join at any stop, though; the order here is simply the one that flows best.
• Best time of day: Go in the morning: that way you reach the Casa Natale di San Francesco, Santa Chiara and San Rufino's crypt and museum while they are open.
• Which day: Any day of the week works for this walk; the time of day matters more than the weekday.
• What it costs: Most of the route is free. Only the Rocca Maggiore and, at San Rufino, the crypt with the Diocesan Museum and the bell tower charge admission, with reduced tickets available.

Common Questions about Walking Assisi