Italy - Christmas Eve at Asisi

Leave the first response February 10, 2010 / Posted in Travel

The Gothic style church of Basilica di San Francesco (Upper) at Asisi

I managed to spend Christmas at a quaint medival town of Asisi. Asisi is the home of St Francis who was born in 1182 and the saint for animals.

I arrived here in the late afternoon just before dinner after a good long drive from Rome. I decided to stroll around the town and managed to shop for a sterling silver necklace in a shape of a ribbon pasta (how cliche oh well it’s something to remember the place by).

The main attraction here is Basilica di San Francesco - a Gothic Style Church, it has an upper and lower sections. I will be attending a Christmas Eve mass here at the lower church. This is also the church where St Francis’ buried.

In order to make it to the christmas evening mass, I decided to try to stay awake after dinner by strolling more and drinking at the bar :).

It was freezing and my coat was not cutting it. Luckily, my hotel (Hotel Subasio) was just next to the church of Basilica di San Francesco, I decided to grab a thick blanket and wrap myself around it. My hotel is perched up the hill an ex-convent. The rooms were used to be occupied by nuns and it felt like a convent but it had a great view of the church :).

I am not religious but decided to experience attending Christmas Eve Mass in Latin :). While I was waiting around, a lot of people started coming in - mostly local families, they waited in front of the church door.

The Christmas mass was in Latin (as per my initial guess) - it’s quite soothing and entertaining. There’s something magical about it.

The next day as I woke up, it snowed - a white Christmas for me :).