Santa Maria degli Angeli
ItalyCfa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Pace e bene | Peace and goodness
Why visit
The Basilica is the singular reason, inside its enormous nave (one of the largest churches in the world) sits the original tiny Porziuncola, a stone chapel from the 9th century, miraculously preserved within the host structure. Pilgrims also visit the Cappella del Transito (where Francis died) and the rose garden, where roses without thorns supposedly grew after Francis rolled in them to fight temptation. The Perdono d'Assisi indulgence (August 1 to 2) draws major pilgrim crowds. Santa Maria degli Angeli is a 20-minute walk or short bus from hilltop Assisi.
When to avoid
August Perdono and Easter Holy Week pack the basilica and town with pilgrim buses. Queues for the Porziuncola can be hours. Modest dress is strictly enforced, cover shoulders and knees, no shorts or bare midriffs. Photography rules vary by chapel. Check signage. Most visitors stay in hilltop Assisi rather than the plain town, which has more functional than compact hotels. The plain becomes muggy in summer and foggy in winter. Hilltop Assisi has a fresher microclimate.