After leaving Padua, I spent the next couple days exploring some lesser known towns in Italy. While uneventful, it was nice to get off the beaten path of the typical Italian tourist and not hear any English for a while.
Assisi is perched on top of a hill overlooking a valley filled with olive trees and grapevines. The town itself contains narrow, windy streets that make getting lost a kind of sport. While there are a fair share of St. Francis souvenir shops and loads of tourists, there’s a certain charm about the town that makes it one of my favorite places.
Before heading up the hill from the train station below, I visited a church built over St. Francis’ original home chapel after he started his order. The original little chapel sits directly in the middle of the huge church. On my way there I encountered my first bit of animosity from the Italian people: an older lady mumbled to herself, “Americano…brutto,” (ugly American) as I declined her request for me to buy one of her bookmarks she was waving in my face. I don’t think she expected me to understand what she said because as I turned around and asked her why, she got a bit flustered!
Making my way up the hill, I checked into my lodging for the night: a room in a little complex owned by the most enthusiastic Italian woman I’ve met so far. She didn’t speak a word of English, but she sure was happy to see me, I could tell that much. As she showed me my room, everything she described sounded like God’s gift to this Earth. Even asking for my passport sounded like a joyous celebration. The room turned out to be great, and, somehow, the cheapest room in town offered a view of the valley below.
As I walked through Assisi following the footsteps of the life of St. Francis, I realized my trip has turned into more of a pilgrimage since I’ve arrived in Italy. The day’s sights are more often than not centered around churches and the saints that lived in each town. It’s an aspect of Italy that I don’t think I thought about as much when I envisioned my trip, but it’s something that I’m very thankful to be able to experience. The high point of Assisi is the Basilica of St. Francis, a beautiful, two part basilica covered with frescoes from the life of the saint. While the basilica is what draws pilgrims and tourists alike, I think the town of Assisi itself is more indicative of the humble, simplistic attitude that Francis had, a place where beauty can be found in the most basic elements of the town’s character.