A Week in Italy: Day 6

With an early check out we left Rome in a fluorous heading towards our next stop: Assisi. Reflecting a bit on Rome I think the thing that will stick with me most about Rome beside the food, art, and architecture is the hectic traffic. There are no lanes on the roads. It's essentially a free-for-all. No wonder Vespas are so common. I'm honestly shocked we didn't crash our ginormous bus. Safe to say I'll probably never drive in Rome.

After a short 2 and a half-hour drive, we arrived in Assisi. Assisi - located in the Umbria region of Italy - is most well known for being the birthplace of Latin poet Propertius and St. Francis. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Assisi has been around since roughly 1000 BC. The small town sits up on a hill overlooking the Italian countryside. Tall stone walls still encompass the town and monks are still present in the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi.

Our bus driver meticulously maneuvered us through the tight cobblestone streets before dropping us off a short walk away from Hotel la Rocca. Being such a small town, the hotel was split between two buildings on opposite ends of Via Porta Perlici. The walk between buildings wouldn't have been a problem hadn't it been for the unrelentless downpour of rain that caused the old, sloped cobblestoned streets to become extremely slippery. My rather eventful room had 4 twin beds - two in a loft and two below - for 2 people. The views were incredibly gorgeous despite the rain.

Immediately after settling in we were led on a walking tour of the small town past La Cattedrale di San Rufino and down to the Piazza del Comune Assisi. The rain had cleared out towards the end just in time for us to search for a bite to eat for lunch. Sitting down in the Piazza at Vino Osteria 8 Winebar I sipped on a simple Sprite and nibbled on a baguette filled with prosciutto, tomatoes, arugula, and mozzarella.

As I got down to the last few crumbs on my plate, the rain came back with a vengeful downpour that seeped through the awning covering my table. Following our class schedule, we left for part two of our walking tour in the midst of the rain. Our walk took us towards the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi.

As the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor Conventual, the Basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. It's an early example of Gothic architecture in Italy and adorned with frescos done by late medieval painters such as Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, and Pietro Lorenzetti. Consecrated in 1253, the Basilica has been standing for almost 8 centuries. In 1997, the vault of the basilica collapsed after two earthquakes were registered in rapid succession and restoration took 2 years. Videos of the collapses are viewable on Youtube.

Visiting the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi was my first time seeing monks let alone monks that were my age. The building is comprised of an upper and lower basilica as well as a crypt where Saint Francis is supposedly buried. Silence permeates the basilica as monks, locals, and tourists observe the intricate interior paintings.

Afterward exiting the sky cleared up and exploring the local shops began.

Along Via Arnaldo Fortini I came across a small shop filled with watercolor paintings. Street artists are extremely common in Europe but I've found the most authentic artists to be the ones that work while they wait for customers. Looking into the shop I saw this thin, older man laboring over an intricate watercolor painting of the basilica. I greeted him with a simple "Bon Giorno" and he leaped to his feet ready to share his life story with me. Apparently, his family has lived in the house upstairs and maintained the art shop for multiple generations. It's a trade that they've passed down for generations. He pointed out his father's work that's on display and asked us enthusiastically about ourselves.

Later that evening we had a family-style, traditional Italian dinner hosted by our hotel. Antipasti, pasta, meat, dessert, and plenty of wine. Italian dinners are filling but also very different for foreigners to understand - especially when mystery meats are placed in front of you.

Step Count: 8,263 steps