Assisi and Perugia!

Last weekend, I took my first trip outside of Roma!

Assisi was amazing, breathtaking, and truly the most enchanting town I have ever been to. If you can get away from the swarms of tourists who flood the this town that has only eight hundred residents and find a small narrow sidestreet you will feel like you are walking in a Medieval city.

The town is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. Literally, every souvenir had St. Francis on it. We went on a walking guided tour and started off by going into St. Francis’ basilica. I think I almost had a case of Stendhal syndrome. The whole church was floor to ceiling frescoes. It was absolutely the most amazing church I have ever been in. I saw a few frescoes that I studied, but most importantly I saw the St. Francis’ alter piece which was one of my favorite works in the beginning of my Art History class. One thing I have learned quickly in Italy is that art history slides do not do justice to the scale of works. I never really understood the magnitude and importance of envisioning a work in its actual size. The frescoes were at least five times larger than I imagined.

After St. Francis basilica we walked through the town and arrived at the Santa Chiara basilica. This basilica was beautiful as well. I would definitely recommend walking downstairs and seeing her tomb. For me, it was one of the highlights of the trip. The beautiful and elaborate marble work around her tomb is something that words and pictures cannot describe. Unfortunately it is hard to relay the darkness and somberness of the room that enhanced the overall experience.

After the tour my friends and I decided that we should climb to the top of Assisi were there is a I believe a former monastery because we thought the view would be gorgeous. It was hell. Fifteen minutes of uphill non-stop climbing in what felt like hundred degree weather. We did reach the top and views were stunning, but I would suggest taking a taxi next time. At least I can say I did it!

That evening we ate dinner in this restaurant called “La Stella” I would recommend the restaurant, but only if you eat outside. We are right by the grill and it was literally a million degrees. I had a delicious assortment of eggplants from grilled, sauteed, and fried. After dinner we relaxed in our hotel because Assisi does not offer a night life.

The next day we took a bus to Perugia. For some inexplicable reason, I was disappointed with Perugia. It had the qualities of an enchanting town with beautiful scenery, but as a whole I felt unimpressed and glad we only spent the afternoon there. I'm not sure if it was due to my lack of sleep, but I just didn't feel as much character and personality as the city of Assisi. Although, I must note there were a lot of clothing stores and definitely some good shopping can be found there, but the best part of Perugia for me was the chocolate store where I got chili pepper chocolate!

Next week I am going to Florence! Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do?