We took the train in the morning, and just stayed there for the day. When we arrived, the hill town was in such thick fog, we could barely see anything. The fog burned off by 2:00 pm. Until then, we were inside a cloud.
Assisi is a quiet town. Many pilgrims go there to see the tomb of St. Francis, and other sites such as the remains of his childhood home. Franciscan monks are everywhere, and nuns are also frequently seen. Some of the monks still live the exact way that St. Francis promoted. They wear burlap clothes and beg for alms as their income.
There is another saint from Assisi named St. Clair. She is also a very popular local saint. She was a close follower of Saint Francis.
Photos were not allowed in the Church where St. Francis is buried. There are amazing frescoes by Giotto in the upper part of the church. St. Francis is in a tomb deep under the church, in a catacomb where his close friends and fellow monks are also buried. That church and tomb area was the busiest place in all of Assisi.
It was a relaxing day. We walked around, explored back streets and alleys, went to various churches, saw where St. Francis lived and where he is buried, took many photos, and ate gelato.
Many churches had statues of Mary with lights around the halo. In the dark churches, these glowed in a theatrical way that made the statues seem alive.
Here, Juliana enjoys a delightful pastry. We also got bread called "The Bread of St. Francis" which is a local kind of bread. It had raisins and rosemary in it.
The baptismal font on the left is where Saint Francis was baptized.
The hill town of Assisi now makes most of its money from tourism.
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