On the footsteps of St. Francis accompanied by Licia Colo

filled by Giulia & Romeo

Even if Licia Colò, the famous TV presenter of travel programs, works nine months a year on Saturday and Sunday and has no time for weekends, she gave us some suggestions for a nice weekend in Umbria. In fact, during one of her reportage for the Kilimanjaro (her TV program), that will start on 8 July and will be broadcast every Sunday in prime time in July and August, she discovered the beautiful places which have as common denominator the life of Saint Francis.

"After leaving Assisi, the small city known all around the world and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home of the Basilica of San Francesco (where is the tomb of the saint), Licia Colo leads us to the Hermitage of the Prisons, on the slopes of the Subasio Mount, to Spello and to the Franciscan Spa.
History, spirituality, nature and comfort for a relaxing weekend that will leave you enjoied and satisfied.
4 kilometers from Assisi, at 791 m above sea level, the Hermitage of the Prisons will welcome you as a nest in the woods. From a distance you will see the dense forest of oaks surrounding the Subasio Mount, rich of natural caves, where in 1200 Francis retreated for praying and meditating; around them were built some rooms, it became progressively larger, until reaching its current dimension. To the small original church was added in 1400 the convent, under the guidance of St. Bernardino of Siena, then expanded over the centuries until today. An enchanted place in the woods with a very nice nature walk. A place whose atmosphere should be breathed slowly ... After visiting the Hermitage you can continue the walk to the top of Subasio Mount. The view of Umbria from up here is unforgettable.
Then you can reach Spello, that although shaded by the more famous Assisi, is a town even more beautiful. It was a very important Roman town in Roman times and still now has maintained many historical sites to visit and where, not least, the food is very very good! A short walk from Town Hall, a historic building of exceptional beauty with a rich library of 4000 volumes collected in wooden shelves painted in Venetian style, there is a restaurant where you can enjoy a fantastic “carbonara “ with artichokes. Fillets of artichokes instead of bacon ... a must to try. And to relax, last but not least, a dip in the Franciscan Spa , with sulphurous water.
Sauna, turkish bath, indoor and outdoor pools, all surrounded by the dense green of the Umbrian countryside. "