Spello and Assisi in one day?
 

Hello again fellow fodorites...just wondering what your opinion is on seeing both Spello and Assisi in one day....too much? We will be staying near Bevagna and have lunch plans in Spello. Would it make sense to go to Assisi early and then arrive in Spello for lunch and then wander Spello after lunch or will we be short changing Assisi?

Thanks.

Well there is so so much to see in Assisi - St Francis' rural abode where he talked to birds is a bit out of town - so it depends on what you want to see - just the main basilica or also the raft of old historic churches associated with St Francis and other local luminary saints. I think having to be in Spello by lunch is awkward - well that is my opinion only.

I think you are probably right. I will rethink that. Thank you.

Also, Spello is closed down (except a couple restaurants) at that time. You'll miss out on really "seeing" it.

Too many people go to Assisi and only see the cathedral. You have to walk up the hill and really enjoy the village. The cell where St. Francis was held is up there and Santa Chiara, etc.

We enjoyed the excavated Roman Forum under Piazza del Comune in Assisi.

Here's a link to an article that includes a walking tour of Assisi:

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/umbria/lm_assisi.htm

Do not cut Assisi short just for a lunch---you can see Spello in an hour.

Mikster,

If you are staying in Bevegna, how about going to Assisi and spending as long as you like. Then head to Spello in the late afternoon, stroll around, have a glass of wine at the bar with the wonderful garden and views, then go to dinner at Il Mulino?

I liked Assisi, but it was there I hit "church overload". I visited a couple on the way down to the Bascillica and did the upper level in detail. At the lower level my eyes crossed and I had to leave.

I went back and did the lower level and the excavated forum the next day. Much better with a clear head!

Spello in an hour, not really. One hour is what you need for Pinturicchio's frescoes alone, and then, there's still the city wall with the ancient Roman gates, and the famous gelato near one of them. But of course it's true that you need much, much, much more time for Assisi than for Spello, so lunch is not the appropriate hour for splitting this day's program.

Okay...definitely will heed your advice. We are doing lunch in Spello instead of dinner because I don't want to drive back to our hotel in the dark after some vino. We are actually staying at Le Case Gialle which is a short drive from Bevagna. So we will have lunch as planned and walk around Spello a bit before and after and then devote a full day to Assisi. Thanks so much.

Try the trattoria in Torre del Colle when staying in Bevagna. It's sad somehow since that gorgeous little borgo used to be inhabited just a few years ago (there was even one farmer left who had his wine cellar inside the medieval walls) and is now mostly a stage set (and outdoor smoking lounge) for the trattoria, but it's still a splendid stage set, and the food is actually not bad, and very inexpensive to boot. Just beware of the wine (the owner, while being very proud of his wine expertise, has no clue about it, but he is actually good on food, and a remarkable personality).

Thank you, I will.