Basilica di San Francesco
About
Churches
Basilica di San Francesco is the best place to spend your leisure time tasting delicious food and enjoying the nice atmosphere. After visiting our restaurant you will definitely have a wish to come back!
Location
Adress: Piazza Inferiore di San Francesco 2, Assisi, 06081
Phone: +39 075 819001
Reviews
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Hazel P.
The basilica is a beautiful architectural, historical & religious landmark. The artwork inside is amazing. There is more than one level to this basilica with only stairs (as far as I know) to reach the other levels. I love St. Francis for his affinity for animals & his belief that love & peace is important for all beings.
We came to visit Assisi on the Greenline Tour. When we arrived in Assisi a local guide took us on a walking tour of the town. There are many twisting streets & almost every building seems to have some kind of art on the front depicting St. Francis.
At the basilica itself the souvenir shop is on an upper level. They have medallions, coins, snow globes, books, bags, soap, chocolate & many other souvenirs. I bought some medallions for friends, family & also myself.
I feel as if I didn't get enough time to spend here. Someday I would love to come back & spend more time getting to know the town of Assisi. -
Steffi L.
The story of this place, as well as its beauty, brought me to tears. So magnificent! If you can visit around Christmas-time, please do it!!! The nativity scenes and lights that come out make it even more enchanting.
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Boon C.
This a patron saint St Francisco bury here. It was explained to me if a saint is bury in a church is call Basilica. If not is call cathedral. This church is big. It is located on the mountain top. But St. Francisco most likely service at the church below at Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi.
The Basilica is beautiful. It is almost like a castle. The compound is big. This Basilica is at Assisi between Rome and Venice. To get there is easy. But you may want to spend a night at nearby hotel.
The cathedral has two stories. The bottom like a chapel and the top like cathedral. The wall full of St. Francisco life becomes saint. The famous one is the one he preaches to the bird. Some said that he can communicate with the animals.
The Basilica has multi wall painting. We love the scenery. It is a bit challenging for those who has wheel chair. It is not wheel chair accessible. -
Allen C.
"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows." - St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226).
I'm not religious. Still, I find St. Francis' humility and his compassion for the poor and the sick immensely inspiring. While traveling in Italy, I thought I'd stop by this small town in which Assisi himself was born; and the Basilica di San Francesco. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Unlike some gaudy and ostentatious structures, the beauty of the basilica is within itself. Check out the paintings, the woodwork and the archways. All are simple and yet exquisite in an archaic way. This place is a worthwhile addition to your travels.
I learned that this church had a secret hideout during WWII. According to the guide, there was a German soldier who had discovered the going-ons but chose to keep quiet and in turn helped save the lives of those hiding within the walls of the church. Lots of history here. -
Bobby A.
Talk about strange coincidences. I showed up, without even knowing it, on Oct.3rd, St. Francis' Feast Day and the anniversary of his death, that's just the way my travel schedule unfolded. So I knew in advance that Assissi is an extremely popular town for Roman day-trippers, but I had no idea of the amount of pilgrims which would be here the day I came.
Luckily, it was the last day of a week of festivities so things were dying down and by the early evening, the day trippers and pilgrims were gone and the town and by extension the Basilica were pleasantly emptied out allowing me to practically have some parts of the Basilica almost to myself.
St. Francis's tomb is in the Lower Basilica (along with his 4 companions) and given that St. Francis is the patron saint of Italy and the founder of the Franciscan Order (along with being the patron saint of animal lovers, environmentalists) there are pilgrims here all the time. This is considered to be a holy place for the devout so please act accordingly. If you just come to the Basilica to pay your respects to St. Francis, there's a lot you're missing out on. The artwork of the Lower Basilica is considered to be a masterpiece of the late Medieval age and is full of spiritual symbolism and codes if you know what to look for. Personally I found the Lower Basilica to be far more interesting that the Upper Basilica. Also, on the lawn in front of the basilica, runs a wall and the entrance to the Way of St. Francis, the Bosco di San Francesco, a lovely reclaimed forest, full of wooded trails, an old mill, a river, random sculptures, olive groves and plenty of places to meditate and take in the beauty of the Umbrian countryside. If you love walking in nature, it's not to be missed.