Begun in 1228, two years after the saint's death, the basilica of Assisi is two churches stacked and a new idea of art: here Giotto and his workshop told Francis's life in twenty-eight scenes that taught Western painting how to tell stories. UNESCO-listed, it guards the tomb of Italy's patron saint.
What to see
The upper basilica, luminous and Gothic, with the Giottesque cycle of the Stories of Saint Francis; the lower one, gathered and low, with Cimabue, Lorenzetti and Simone Martini — the Saint Martin chapel is a jewel within the jewel — and the crypt with the saint's tomb, silent goal of millions of pilgrims.
Visiting
Entry is free; this is an active place of worship: silence, covered shoulders and muted phones are requested and enforced. The friars' guided visits (free offering) add what no audioguide can. An hour and a half is the minimum for the two churches; the crypt deserves its minutes of stillness.
Getting there
Assisi is reached by train (station at Santa Maria degli Angeli, then bus C to the upper town) or by car (car parks at the edges of the pedestrian centre). The basilica stands at the town's western end: ten minutes downhill on foot from Piazza del Comune.
Our editors' tip
Enter the lower basilica first, as pilgrims do: the ascent from gathered darkness to the upper church's light IS the spiritual path the builders designed. And step onto the lawn at sunset, façade glowing and coaches gone: what remains is the essential.