Basilica of San Francesco

The camera looks across the stone rooftops of Assisi toward the Basilica of San Francesco, a large church with a bell tower that stands at the edge of the old town. The pale stone houses climb the slope of Mount Subasio, and beyond them the Umbrian valley opens out with fields and scattered villages.

Early morning often brings soft light and mist over the valley, while late afternoon warms the stone facades. Spring and autumn are mild and clear, and religious feast days bring processions and visitors through the streets. Winter can be cold and grey, with occasional snow on the hills.

Assisi is a hill town in Umbria, built largely of local pink and white stone. It is known as the birthplace of Saint Francis, and the basilica that bears his name holds frescoes by medieval painters. Visitors walk the steep lanes, visit the churches and look out over the valley.