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You don't have to be a pilgrim to appreciate Assisi, but it helps if you have some interest in churches. For hundreds of years Assisi has been dominated by its favourite son, St. Francis, whose followers filled the little town with churches, monasteries and shrines. Everywhere you look in Assisi, you'll find another fine church, mostly built in the pretty pink stone which defines the town's appearance, and containing fine artworks and Franciscan relics. The grandest of these, of course, is the Basilica di San Francesco with stained glass windows, and frescoes attributed to Giotto, Cimabue and Simone Martini.
Assisi's other attractive churches are numerous; among the finest are the Basilica di Santa Chiara (St. Clare's); the seventeenth-century Chiesa Nuova, a small church built over St. Francis's presumed birthplace; and San Pietro, which has an interesting underground museum with varied exhibits and some Roman remains.
The town's attractive main street is the Via San Francesco, which runs from the Basilica up to Piazza del Comune. There are many interesting buildings along the way, including the frescoed Oratorio dei Pellegrini (Pilgrims' Oratory), and the town's art gallery, the Pinacoteca Comunale. The latter contains a number of interesting paintings and frescoes, many of which decorated the walls and gateways of the town.
Olive groves and rooftops
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