Should You Live in Assisi?

A medieval town that still breathes St. Francis

About This Series: Living part-time in Tuscany has turned us into passionate scouts for towns that could welcome fellow international residents. After years of splitting our time between southern Tuscany and California, we've learned to evaluate places through the lens of someone considering making Italy home.

During the following months each blog will be dedicated to a unique town, examining everything from practical conveniences and community life to tourist impact and daily challenges. Our goal is to provide authentic, unvarnished insights for fellow international residents considering making Italy home, whether full-time or part-time.

This week, we're exploring Assisi, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Christianity's most important pilgrimage destinations. But we're also looking at Santa Maria degli Angeli, the town in the valley directly below. If Assisi draws you but the medieval streets, limited parking, and premium prices give you pause, Santa Maria degli Angeli offers modern conveniences and more affordable housing — with Assisi just a ten-minute bus ride up the hill.

Our Experience

My first visit to Assisi came during my college years while living in Rome. I knew little of its history and even less about Saint Francis, but two things struck me immediately: the beauty of the medieval town cascading down the mountainside, and something harder to define — a sense of peace that felt different from other places I had visited.

It is not heavy or solemn the way some pilgrimage sites can feel. There is a lightness to Assisi, as if Francis's joyful approach to faith still shapes the town. It welcomes everyone — religious or secular, local or foreign.

Years later, the year before we began living in Italy, we chose to spend Christmas in Assisi. The whole town was illuminated with light projections on the historic buildings. The basilica's facade came alive with a sound and light show recreating the nativity through Giotto's frescoes. The church hummed with Christmas liturgies, and the town carried the same quiet from that first visit.

Something I have come to understand about Assisi is that everyone who comes here seems to have their own encounter with the place. Mine, that Christmas Eve, happened by accident. Arriving early for midnight mass, I found the upper basilica still filling, so I descended to the lower church where Saint Francis rests. To my surprise, I was alone in the tomb chapel. In that quiet space, his presence felt almost tangible.

The next morning, at a gathering of local English speakers, I saw another side of Assisi. Among the parishioners was an elderly man from Texas, in his eighties, who had moved here to fulfill a dream he had shared with his late wife. "It was the best decision I ever made," he told me, "even though my grown children back in Texas think I've lost my mind." His contentment was evident. He had found not just a beautiful place to live, but a thriving expat community that had made him feel at home.

My sense is that Assisi welcomes everyone. We know of a gay couple who bought a house here and worried at first about how they would be received; within a short time the townspeople had taken them in as their own. And I know people of many religious backgrounds — and of none — for whom Assisi has been a meaningful and powerful experience.

On a return visit this past May, Assisi offered a very different kind of encounter. The town is now home to the tomb of Saint Carlo Acutis, a fifteen-year-old from Milan who died of leukemia in 2006 and was canonized by Pope Leo XIV in September 2025 — the first saint of the millennial generation. At the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, he is displayed in the jeans, tracksuit, and Nike sneakers he actually wore, and the shrine draws young people from around the world. What struck me most was not the tomb itself but everything happening around it. The space was full of teenagers, families, and groups from every continent, and among them were young Franciscan friars — telling stories, listening to problems, offering friendship. It was overwhelming, and completely different from the silence of Francis's chapel, but the sense of individual encounter was the same.

Later that evening came yet another encounter. A drum competition moved through the streets — about thirty young men, sixteen to twenty years old, led by an older, experienced director. Some played with sticks, twirling them between beats; a few played with their hands. The drums were powerful — you could feel the vibrations in your chest — and the group was skilled. A crowd gathered quickly, and before long we were part of a hundred people following the drummers toward the central piazza, where the beat resolved into a long, thundering roll. I had never seen anything like it.

The town has its ordinary pleasures too. Our Airbnb host recommended a cafeteria-style spot for pilgrims where the food was functional. Closer to the piazza we found boutique restaurants and pizzerias where we ate very well. There are art galleries, and street performers pass through, along with a fair number of unusual and interesting people drawn here for their own reasons. In spring, poppies cover the surrounding hillsides.

That is what has stayed with me about Assisi. It gives each person their own encounter — a quiet moment in a chapel, a crowd behind the drummers, an evening meal with a bottle of Umbrian wine, a Sunday-morning conversation with an American who found his home here. Many of those drawn to that kind of experience end up staying.

Location & Accessibility

Assisi sits at about 1,365 feet on the slopes of Monte Subasio, overlooking the Umbrian valley. Santa Maria degli Angeli spreads across the valley floor about 2 miles below.

Transportation Options:

• Airports: Rome Fiumicino (2 hours), Florence (2.5 hours), Perugia (30 minutes)

• Trains: Santa Maria degli Angeli has its own station with direct connections to Rome (2 hours), Florence (2.5 hours), and Perugia (20 minutes)

• Buses: Regular service connects Assisi's historic center to the train station (15 minutes)

• Nearby: Perugia (25 minutes), Spello (10 minutes), Foligno (15 minutes)

This is the advantage of the dual-town setup: you can live in medieval Assisi and access modern transportation through Santa Maria degli Angeli's train station—among the best rail connections in central Italy for a town this size.

Historical Significance

Assisi's significance comes from Saint Francis (1181-1226), founder of the Franciscan order. The massive Basilica of San Francesco, begun just two years after his death, houses frescoes by Giotto that changed the course of Western painting.

Santa Maria degli Angeli developed around the Porziuncola, the tiny chapel where Francis founded his religious movement. The enormous basilica there was built in the 16th century to protect that sacred site.

UNESCO recognized the entire area as a World Heritage site in 2000.

Visual Character

Assisi is one of Italy's most beautiful medieval towns. Rose-colored stone buildings cascade down the mountainside, crowned by the Basilica of San Francesco and the Rocca Maggiore castle. Narrow streets, Gothic churches, and Roman ruins create a layered architectural history spanning two thousand years.

The view from Assisi across the valley to Santa Maria degli Angeli, with its distinctive dome, is classic Umbria. Evening light on the pink stone facades is spectacular.

Santa Maria degli Angeli is less dramatic visually—it's a functioning modern town with tree-lined streets and contemporary amenities. But it's within sight of Assisi's medieval skyline, and that counts for something.

Distinctive Features

In Assisi:

• Basilica of San Francesco: Two-level church with Giotto's fresco cycle depicting Francis's life

• Basilica of Santa Chiara: Gothic church with Saint Clare's tomb and the crucifix that spoke to Francis

• Roman Forum and Temple of Minerva: Remarkably preserved Roman structures integrated into the medieval town

• Rocca Maggiore: Medieval fortress with panoramic views

In Santa Maria degli Angeli:

• Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli: Massive church built around the tiny Porziuncola chapel

• Modern town center: Practical shopping, services, dining

• Railway station: Major transportation hub for the region

Recognition:

• UNESCO World Heritage site (2000)

• "I Borghi più belli d'Italia"

• Major Catholic pilgrimage destination

Practical Conveniences

Basic Information:

• Assisi population: About 28,000

• Santa Maria degli Angeli population: About 14,000

• Internet: Reliable broadband in both towns

  
  

Housing Costs:

• Assisi rentals: €500–€800/month; higher in historic center due to tourism and UNESCO status

• Santa Maria degli Angeli rentals: €400–€650/month; more affordable with modern amenities

• Assisi buying: €1,800–€2,800 per square meter; historic center commands premium

• Santa Maria degli Angeli buying: €1,200–€1,800 per square meter; better value for modern housing

  
  

Recent 2-bedroom listings for reference (Idealista.it, July 2026):

• Petrignano di Assisi (a frazione about 10 km from the historic center), 91 sqm, 1 bath, habitable condition: €85,000

• Assisi historic center apartments: starting around €120,000, though inventory is thin

• Santa Maria degli Angeli, 115 sqm, 1 bath, good condition with garden and cellar: €119,000

• Santa Maria degli Angeli, 93 sqm, 2 baths, new construction with garage and elevator: €252,350

  
  

Note: Prices shift quickly. Check Idealista.it, Immobiliare.it, and Casa.it for what's currently on the market.

Services:

• Assisi: Tourist-oriented shops, restaurants, basic services; limited practical shopping

• Santa Maria degli Angeli: Supermarkets, banks, medical services, practical shopping

• Parking: Limited in Assisi's historic center; ample in Santa Maria degli Angeli

  
  

Community & Social Life

Assisi has heavy pilgrimage tourism from April through October, especially during religious festivals. There's a growing expat community, particularly in Santa Maria degli Angeli. English is widely spoken because of international pilgrims.

The spiritual community is active—Franciscan monasteries, international religious visitors, people drawn here for contemplative reasons. This shapes the town's character in ways that differ from purely tourist destinations.

Why Some Expats Choose Santa Maria degli Angeli:

Many international residents find the valley town offers the best compromise—close to Assisi's sacred sites while enjoying modern conveniences and a more residential feel.

Practical advantages:

• Modern buildings with central heating and reliable utilities versus medieval structures requiring costly adaptations

• Abundant parking versus Assisi's restricted historic center

• Level streets versus steep medieval lanes

• Multiple supermarkets versus limited shopping in Assisi's tourist center

• Full-service banks and medical facilities

• Train station with direct connections to Rome and Florence

• Lower housing costs for equivalent space

• More opportunities to integrate with Italian families in residential neighborhoods

• Local businesses maintain regular hours year-round versus seasonal closures

Living in this area means being part of a community that has welcomed international visitors for eight centuries. Santa Maria degli Angeli offers modern comfort within that spiritual landscape.

Tourism Impact

Assisi has pilgrims and spiritual tourists year-round. Basilicas get crowded. Restaurants fill up. Parking in the historic center is limited.

But pilgrimage tourism tends to be different from regular sightseeing—more respectful, more international, more spiritually motivated. The religious calendar drives patterns: major crowds during Saint Francis celebrations, peaceful periods during ordinary liturgical seasons.

Santa Maria degli Angeli offers more residential neighborhoods while maintaining easy access to Assisi's attractions.

Cultural Attractions & Leisure

Sites:

• Basilica of San Francesco and its frescoes

• Diocesan Museum and Basilica of Santa Chiara

• Roman archaeological sites

• Monte Subasio Regional Park

Festivals:

• Calendimaggio: Medieval spring festival (early May)

• Feast of Saint Francis (October 3-4)

• Classical music concerts in historic venues

Day Trips:

• Perugia (25 minutes)

• Spello (10 minutes)

• Bevagna (20 minutes)

• Umbrian wine country throughout the region

Outdoors:

• Monte Subasio hiking trails

• Via di Francesco pilgrimage route

  
  

Daily Life Through the Seasons

Summer: Warm, low 80s°F. Peak pilgrimage season brings international crowds but also energy and excellent restaurant service.

Autumn: Moderate crowds, ideal weather for Monte Subasio hikes. Saint Francis feast day in October brings enormous crowds but incredible atmosphere.

Winter: Towns return to residents and local pilgrims. Mist in the Umbrian valley creates beautiful landscapes. You can experience Assisi's streets in quiet. Some tourist services reduce hours.

Spring: Perfect balance—moderate crowds, wildflowers on Monte Subasio, religious festivals offering authentic experiences.

The rhythm of pilgrimage tourism differs from secular tourism. It's more respectful, more international, more spiritually motivated.

Practical Challenges

What to know:

• Pilgrimage crowds: Daily tourist presence, especially during religious festivals

• Seasonal patterns: Some services reduce hours outside peak pilgrimage season

• Historic center limitations: Restricted vehicle access and limited parking in Assisi

• Religious atmosphere: Constant church bells and religious processions—positive or negative depending on your perspective

• Property regulations: UNESCO and religious heritage protections affect renovations

• Healthcare: Basic services locally; hospital in Perugia (25 minutes)

  
  

The Verdict: Assisi & Santa Maria degli Angeli at a Glance

Ideal for:

• Those seeking spiritual or contemplative environments

• History and art enthusiasts

• People comfortable with respectful religious tourism

• Remote workers who thrive in peaceful, historic surroundings

• Anyone interested in Italy's living religious traditions

• Those wanting medieval charm with modern transportation access

Consider carefully if:

• You prefer secular environments without religious influences

• You need affordable housing in historic centers

• You want to avoid tourist crowds entirely

• You require extensive nightlife or entertainment

• You prefer completely private residential environments

Our assessment: Assisi and Santa Maria degli Angeli offer a chance to live in one of the world's most significant spiritual landscapes while enjoying practical amenities. The pilgrimage tourism is both blessing and challenge—it ensures international restaurants, cultural offerings, and a cosmopolitan atmosphere while requiring patience during major religious celebrations.

Property costs in Assisi reflect its status, but Santa Maria degli Angeli provides more affordable options with better transportation links.

That man from Texas I met at Christmas mass—he was in his eighties, living alone in a foreign country, and he was happy. His children thought he'd lost his mind. But he'd found something he needed here, and Assisi gave it to him.

That's not nothing. For the right person, this combination of medieval beauty, spiritual depth, and modern convenience offers something genuinely rare.

More next time.

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