43915NOR
Assisi visit of Santa Maria degli Angeli with TM
free visit of the Basilica of St Francis
· Remind the group of dress code – no bare knees or shoulders
· Guiding in the Basilica is not allowed. Give your explanations outside.
· The timing of this day depends entirely on the interest of the group. If you leave Assisi early in the afternoon, you could include a short visit to Perugia.
· Another nice stop could be at Lake Trasimeno before going to Assisi. There are several lakeshore hangouts where it is possible to organize a picnic.
Chianciano Terme – Assisi 80km, 1hr 30mins.
09.00
Take the S 146 to Chiusi. From here there are two possible routes: either via Città d. Pieve on the S 220, or the S 71/S 75bis via the northern shore of Lake Trasimeno and Perugia. You may choose to go one way and come back the other.
10.30
Arrive at Assisi.
Assisi – visit
Drive up the hill to the bus park below the Basilica of St Francis, (Porta San Pietro). Drop off here and make a rendezvous for departure. Tell the group that they must be punctual – the driver cannot wait. Walk the group to the Basilica, give some explanations and leave them free to visit on their own. St. Francis’s tomb is half way through the lower church down the steps.
N.B. Please be aware that St. Francis’ Basilica now requires a booking and an entrance fee for all groups but NOT for individual visitors. It is therefore advised that you tell your group in advance that they should split in smaller groups of no more than three or four and enter separately. They could access the site by using the entrances to both the Lower and Upper church.
Tell them then to take the main street up to Piazza del Comune. You can suggest they visit the church of Santa Chiara and, for the adventurous the Rocca Maggiore (the fortress above the town. Be aware that it is a strenuous climb and takes time to get up to the Rocca). There are plenty of bars and places to eat. Return to the same place you dropped off.
*** Alternatively, and perhaps a more time efficient way to visit Assisi: your driver can drop you at the Santa Chiara parking area (on the right side as you look at the town from the valley) and pick you up at the bus park below the Basilica of San Francesco (on the left as you look at the town from the valley). You’ll walk from one end of town to the other. Start your visit through the Port Nuova and walk past Santa Chiara to the Piazza del Comune (free time for lunch and shopping). From there continue walking to the Basilica of San Francesco for the visit and finally through the Porta San Francesco to the parking area below the basilica. This way you aren’t backtracking and most of the walking is downhill.
Santa Maria degli Angeli – visit
Either on arrival or when you leave Assisi, make a stop here. Drive to the bus park, from where Santa Maria degli Angeli is indicated. Tell them that after they have seen the chapel inside (“Porziuncola”, the place where San Francesco died), they should follow the signs to the Roseto, which will take them around the pilgrimage route and back to the esplanade in front of the church. There are toilets on the left-hand side.
15.30 Departure from Assisi
17.00 Arrive in Chianciano Terme.