Day 7 – Trip to Assisi!

Sunday, July 8th

Our first day trip was today! We went to Assisi, a city known for its patron saint, Saint Francis. The main attraction of the city is the Basilica di San Francesco. The large church is a focal point for many pilgrims, as Saint Francis is actually buried there and his tomb is on display.

Steps of Assisi!

My first stop in Assisi was not the Basilica. I went up to the top of a mountain by taxi with Daniel and his mom to visit Saint Francis’ monastery called Eremo delle Carceri. This site is where he meditated, prayed, and lived! The building in which he dwelled was very small and had very narrow passageways. The main highlight of this site is the beautiful nature. The monastery is in the woods, something I haven’t seen a lot of in Italy as of yet. Unlike down on “level ground” (in quotes because even Perugia is highly elevated), the plants and forestation aren’t burnt to a crisp by the sun. I got some great pictures on our small trek through the paths up near the monastery.

Our plan was to walk down from Eremo to the center of Assisi, as many tour guides recommended. I believed this meant there would be a street or something to walk on. Oh, how I was wrong! We took a 4 kilometer trek down a very steep and rocky pathway. I wasn’t wearing the right shoes… at all! By the end of it all, I had developed blisters on my feet. That being said, it is all trivial because I really enjoyed the hike. I never get to do things like this at home so I was really proud of myself for doing something “off the beaten path,” as tour books would say.

We walked through Assisi to get to the Basilica. On the way we stopped by Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Previously a Roman temple for Minerva, it is now a church embellished with baroque design on its interior. Once getting to the Basilica, I had to don my shrug – out of respect – and then we entered. The Upper Church is filled with frescos by Giotto and his assistants. The paintings illustrate Saint Francis’ life. Many of the frescos are damaged due to earthquakes in the area. The Lower Church is a much darker building. It houses the tomb of Saint Francis as well as old church relics!

When meeting up with the rest of the group, it became a competition of who walked the most and who had the hardest trek. Yes, I give it to them that they walked up and down to the Rocca Maggiore which is at an elevation of 1889 feet, but I walked a whole 4+ kilometers from a place with an elevation of 2400 feet! I will not stand by and have my blisters trivialized!

We got back to Perugia and I immediately showered and put my feet up. Dinner was at around 8:30 at a restaurant called Mangiar Bene (across the Atlantic and we eat at a restaurant so similarly named to Mangia Bene!). I had a simple margarita pizza, but I’m telling you, Italian mozzarella is AMAZING. I had a bit of Maxim’s Caprese, and the cheese was just melting in my mouth! We spent a little time at the Jazz Festival, but it was getting late and we had had a long day.

Day 7 Fun Tidbits:

• Nànà was actually open today! Michael lied! If only I had known, I would have gotten there earlier!
• Pippa and I went clothes shopping and both got really nice things!
• Remember when I said that having a doctor on our trip is really useful? Jane healed my feet tonight!

Also read…
Day 6 – Concert Night!
Day 8 – Some Sights Outside of Perugia
Great Neck Music Conservatory Visits Italy!