Assisi … Birthplace of the Franciscan Order

DSC_0044Assisi is linked in legend with its native son, St. Francis. The founder of the Franciscan order, is recognized as the patron saint of Italy.

Assisi is built on a hilltop, with impressive buildings, cobble stoned streets and stoned archways. UNESCO hDSC_0008as collectively designated the town of Assisi and all of its monuments as a world heritage site. It is easy to understand why. We stayed in Assisi for a week and visited the town several times. Any time of the day or night that we stopped in, we enjoyed strolling around, browsing the local shops and taking in the beauty of our surroundings.

The town of Assisi is dominated by a medieval DSC_0069castle, the Rocca Maggiore. Work on the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, the Franciscan monastery, began when St. Francis was canonized in 1228. Although Assisi was struck by earthquakes in 1997, much restoration work has been done to bring the historical sites back to their original grandeur.

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