Hilltop Towns

Throughout the two wonderful weeks, we visited more than a dozen hilltop towns, including San Germini, Labro, Narni, Todi, Orvieto, Perugia, Spoleto, and Assisi.

We were very fortunate that most of the towns were not overrun by tourists. 

Assisi was the exception. 

Assisi was a bit further from Terni than the other towns, and it took a good long day for us to go there and return to La Romita.
Assisi, The City of Peace, named after St. Francis Assisi, is an UNESCO Heritage Site. This famous town is a well preserved medieval construction on the slopes of Monte Subiacoin in Umbria.
And what a view!
A few years before, the earthquake damaged part of the Bacilica Di San Francesco. They were doing some repair works in the Upper Basilica when we were there. We did get to see most of the impressive interior. The fresco was breathtakingly beautiful. 
However, we did not go to the Lower Basilica.
We saw the monks in their San Francesco habits walking in the streets.
This colorful town was filled with pilgrims and tourists. 
There were many artisan shops. 
A Roman Temple sat right there near the main piazza. Much of the architecture was intact. 
The streets were narrow and crowded. 
The temple was quite imposing.

In those hilltop towns, there were times that lugging my gears and climbing those winding lanes became a bit much for me. I resorted to doing some little watercolors.

Here are two of them: