Assisi & Siena

I arrived in Assisi around two in the afternoon. Originally I had planned to get there earlier in the day but I wanted to spend a few extra hours in Norcia for Mass and lunch. I rented a room at a cozy little bed and breakfast just across the street from the train station. After getting checked in I caught the bus from the train station for the ten minute ride to downtown Assisi.

I hadn’t done much planning on what to see but I figured if I saw a steeple I would head toward it. The first church I ran into was the Cathedral of San Rufino. A very pretty church, but paling in comparison to many other churches I have seen in my travels and even others in Assisi. Next, I headed up the hill to Rocca Maggiore, the extensive castle ruins that overlook the town. I didn’t want to pay to see the castle so I enjoyed the view from the outside and the surrounding landscape. I had brought with me two beers from the monks in Norcia, one of which I had in my little backpack. So as the sun began to set I enjoyed a Norcia beer overlooking Assisi sitting on the ruins of Rocca Maggiore.

Since it was a Tuesday the town was not packed with tourists, in fact it was rather empty. As the day dragged on, while discovering the cobblestone streets and ancient stone homes I noticed very few people and even those I did see were religious or locals. I made my way to St. Francis’s Basilica. The upper church has amazing paintings of the life of St. Francis covering all the walls and ceilings. It is strange, the colors in the paintings are powerfully vibrant but when one looks in a more detailed way, many of the frescos that decorate the Church are in desperate need of restoration. Down below is the lower church, which is also covered in frescos the life of Christ and images of the saints cover the walls and ceiling, with the focal point above the altar is a fresco of the Last Judgment.  In the crypt the Blessed Sacrament is reposed and St. Francis’s coffin is visible.

 Unfortunately in this church I found all the people that I hadn’t seen while walking about the town, many were on tours led by friars, but these tours, unconcerned with silence, were so numerous that the spirit of prayer was unfortunately lost. When I came out of the Church it was almost completely dark, so I got some pizza that was noteworthy only for how bad it was, and then took the bus back to my B&B for the night.

The next morning I got up early and enjoyed a lovely little breakfast put together by the owner. I was the only one staying for the night in the B&B so I had a nice peaceful breakfast to myself before cleaning up and departing for Siena. I wish I had spent more time in Assisi, I didn’t see everything I would have liked to, but that is just reason to one day return. I got to Siena in the early afternoon, but I had not figured out the bus system before hand and it did not come easily so I ended up walking to my next Hostel. Siena is nestled in a particularly hilly part of Tuscany so my walk was not very pleasant thanks to inclines and the hiking backpack. Once again though my hostel was very nice and the owner was very personable. He gave me a map and recommended some places to see and eat.

From my hostel it was a five-minute walk into the walled old-town of Siena. It is a classic old town infused with new life. There are countless designer stores strewn along the main corridor packed into the tight street-side ancient homes. Gelato shops, cafés and restaurants keep the locals and the tourists full. It is about a one-hour walk from one side of the old town to the other at a leisurely pace. I really enjoyed the walk; I took my time to enjoy all the happenings. I ended up in the Piazza del Campo, the main square in the old town; it takes on the form of a sort of flattened and enlarged amphitheater shape. The semi-circular side is lined with restaurants while the flat side of the campo is home of the town hall. The young people localize there to enjoy each other’s company, and the tourists spend the money at top-dollar restaurants to enjoy the buzz of the square. I hung out there for a few minutes before moving on.

I walked up a few steps to the Siena Cathedral. I got a ticket and first checked out the cathedral museum. It was a relatively small collection of churchy stuff, but what they had was impressive. There was some wonderful metalwork, chalices, patens, cruets, and more. What was most impressive was the display of vestments, there was probably twenty different beautiful medieval chasubles and a few copes, the most extensive display I have seen. I wish I was allowed to take pictures, o well…

There was an amazing view from the top of an adjacent building overlooking the cathedral, all of Siena, and the surrounding countryside. When I got the to view the sun had just fallen behind far off hills and I spent time taking in the 360 panoramic view.

I spent about half an hour in the Cathedral. It was now dark outside so the Cathedral was not particularly well lit and I was feeling a bit tired, so I did not get the ideal experience in the church. Additionally the intersection of the church transepts, that is the very center of the church, all the way up to the high altar was all blocked off and under construction so I did not get to move through that part of the church. But the cathedral is still magnificent. In fact it is one of the most incredible churches I have seen and the best of the churches in cities of comparable size. I took some pictures, they will do far more justice than my words can, but they are still inadequate.

After the cathedral I headed home for the night, it was dark and the bustle city was winding down. The next morning I got up pretty late and had a nice easy morning. After checking out I found my way to a great little café just a few minutes walk, recommended to me by the hostel owner. I had a few pastries and a cappuccino for dirt cheap(at least in European terms) before walking back to the train station. Next was Florence and the Institute of Christ the King!