Why go
This route suits visitors who want to spend most of the day looking closely at Franciscan art. Chiesa Nuova begins with the saint’s family story, while Oratorio dei Pellegrini gives the walk a smaller devotional space. Continue along Via San Francesco past Palazzo Vallemani and its art gallery before reaching the Basilica of Saint Francis. Give the Upper and Lower Churches the longest visit, then use the treasury to see objects that tell a different story from the wall paintings. The gallery is an optional deeper art stop if time or opening arrangements permit. Keep the basilica and treasury together, and check their separate access arrangements before setting out.
The route, stop by stop
World itinerary estimate: 170–385 min
Times are planning estimates. Unknown visit durations start at an editable 30 minutes; access is checked separately.
- 01
Main stop · 20–35 min
Chiesa Nuova
The Chiesa Nuova is considered the home of St Francis' parents and a rare example of 17th century religious architecture in Assisi.
Explore Walk · 10 min · Estimated
02Main stop · 15–30 min
Oratorio dei Pellegrini
The small Oratorio dei Pellegrini on Via San Francesco preserves fifteenth-century frescoes associated with hospitality for pilgrims. Its scale makes it an intimate art stop between the centre and the basilica.
ExploreWalk · 2 min · Estimated
03Optional · 35–60 min
Municipal Art Gallery
The Municipal Art Gallery displays local painting and art history inside Palazzo Vallemani. Its curated rooms offer a separate museum visit from the palace exterior and the nearby Franciscan churches.
ExploreWalk · 6 min · Estimated
04Main stop · 65–110 min
Papal Basilica of Saint Francis and the Sacred Convent
The Basilica of Saint Francis joins two painted churches and Francis’s tomb on Assisi’s hillside. Its contrasting levels reward a slower visit, with time for both the frescoes and the pilgrimage setting.
ExploreWalk · 2 min · Estimated
05Main stop · 35–60 min
Treasure of the Basilica of St. Francis and the Perkins Collection
The Basilica Treasury in the Papal Palace gathers medieval works and the Perkins Collection. It rewards visitors who want to look beyond the basilica’s frescoes into objects preserved by the Franciscan complex.
Explore