A  gem set on the slopes of Mount Subasio

 The commune of Assisi has a population of 25,000, with about 6000 residents living inside the city walls. It is a medieval city that has remained unchanged for centuries and it is still protected by massive city walls. The town was built on the western spur of Mount Subasio (altitude 424 meters above sea level), stretching longitudinally from south-west to north-east, and it is set on a series of terraces, with the Rocca or fortress – silent and dominant – set in the middle. Its ideal geographical position and mild dry climate make Assisi an enjoyable vacation spot all year long.

 Architects, masons and stone-cutters have given Assisi an incomparable appearance, and time seems to have come to a standstill before this beauty. The Middle Ages continue to reign supreme and the streets of Assisi are typical of medieval towns set on a hillside. The main roads are laid out longitudinally across the mountain, ascending to the main square of Piazza del Comune. Streets, alleys, arches, ascents and descents, and stairs cross these main roads vertically. Located along these streets are medieval houses, all of which were built with stone, quarried on Mount Subasio, that comes alive after a rainstorm, turns red in the warm sunset and is pale in the moonlight and during snowfalls. The doors of the houses, which often feature ogival arches, are also made of stone. Alongside the main door, there is almost always a second walled-up door, with a step leading to the street, that is narrower and has a much higher threshold. This is the “door of the dead”, which was opened only to bring out the deceased and was then immediately closed up again.

 There are no symmetrical structures and this is due also to the fact that the houses have been restored numerous times over the centuries. Proof of this can be found in the numerous walled-up doors and windows and in the supporting buttressing.

 The terracotta tile roofs lean out over the streets and are sustained by wooden corbels.

 The entire town centre is enclosed within the city walls, a sign and guarantee of safety. These walls have witnessed various events and hold the secrets of the city’s great history. The perimeter of the walls covers about five kilometres.

 The function of the straight alleys set at a right angle was to make it easy to reach the walls during an assault. The eight city gates (San Giacomo, Perlici, Moiano, San Francesco, Nuova, San Pietro, Cappuccini and Sementone) complete the city layout and make it easy for visitors to imagine that they are living in a bygone era.

How to get in Umbria

Itineraries inside and outside the city:

Monuments and churchs of Assisi

Outside the walls