Thursday, June 4th, 2009 |
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| 19:45 | Welcome reception |
| Please join us for dinner and drinks on the terrace of the Grand Hotel Assisi. | |
For the accompanying persons we are offering special guided tours on Thursday, June 4, and Friday, June 5, to Assisi and Perugia, leaving from the Grand Hotel Assisi.
To ease planning, please inform us via our contact form if you should be interested.
A travel agent‘s desk will be available on June 4 and June 5 in the lobby of the hotel for special requests and detailed information about the area.
The pink stone town of Assisi is the home of the Umbrian mysticism.
The outstanding figures of the two local saints, Francis and Clare, intertwine
with the artworks of the most famous painters of the Middle Ages.
It is convenient to start the tour from the upper part of the town so that the
down hill itinerary is easier.
HALF DAY TOUR:
• St. Clare Basilica: Clare is the founder of the order of the Poor Clares . She is buried in the crypt of this church where the Crucifix that spoke to St. Francis is also preserved.
• Piazza del Comune: here are the civic buildings dating to the medieval Commune, the People’s Tower and an interesting Roman sacred construction named Minerva temple. Below the square there are finds of a large Roman public area.
• St. Francis Basilica: centre of the Franciscan spirituality and cradle of the medieval European art, the Basilica was built upon the Saint’s tomb. The double papal Basilica was founded by Pope Gregory IX and is an architectural masterpiece containing some of the finest paintings of medieval Italian art, from Cimabue to Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti, Jacopo Torriti and Pietro Cavallini. The frescoed cycles of the Old and New Testament and the panels on life of St. Francis reach the climax on the medieval theology whilst the Franciscan Order was growing in power.
The regional capital and largest city of Umbria, Perugia is situated on a
panoramic rise. The historic centre is connected to the car parks by a series
of escalators. It is a surprising city thanks to its variety and quality of ancient
and medieval testimonies.
HALF DAY TOUR:
• Rocca Paolina: a fortress built up at the command of Pope Paul III, it
covers an attractive underground itinerary through a distinctive medieval
district, where the noble mansions of Perugia’s lords once were.
• Fontana Maggiore: a true symbol of the city, the Fountain was created at the end of the 13th century to provide a water output to the medieval aqueduct. The Pisanos’ carvings of a calendar and other subjects are exquisite examples of medieval sculpture.
• Priori Palace: the main civic building of the city is a nice and imposing Palace, with its pink gothic style windows and ornate portal.
• Etruscan Arch: monumental city gate of the Etruscan time, extremely well preserved.
NB: The detailed guided visit of St. Francis Basilica is only allowed by means of headsets to be rented at the cost of €1,80 per person. It is highly recommended to all visitors. The visit lasts about 1 hour. The service is also available for city tours