Bosco di San Francesco
The other half of Assisi
An intact piece of the Umbrian countryside, a place of harmony and silence at the foot of the great Basilica of St Francis of Assisi; a walk through this landscape becomes an inner journey – one that inspired Michelangelo Pistoletto to create a stunning work of land art
Woodland donated to FAI by Intesa Sanpaolo in 2008
Through a gateway in the wall surrounding the square in front of the Basilica Superiore in Assisi, you enter a narrow path that leads to a wide valley floor, at the foot of the city centre. This is no ordinary excursion; rather, it is an ongoing, peaceful discovery, a new form of pilgrimage into history and into the sacred, through 64 hectares of nature, amid wooded tracts, cultivated fields, walls of pink stone, clearings and olive groves – a 64-hectare plot that years of neglect had reduced to a dumping ground, but which FAI has now salvaged in its entirety.
Making your way now into the woodland, surrounded by hornbeam, juniper, maple and downy oak, you come first to the bed of the River Tescio and, next to it, you can see the evidence of a microcosm inhabited by Benedictine nuns in the 13th and 14th centuries: a convent (now home to the FAI information point); the Romanesque church of Santa Croce; a mill that was operational until the early 20th century (now housing a trattoria serving meals to visitors); the remains of a hospital that treated the diseased and passing pilgrims; and an ancient 14th-century tower erected to defend an early factory.
Climbing to the top of the tower is worth the effort, since it will allow you to admire fully the “Third Paradise”, a piece of land art by renowned artist Michelangelo Pistoletto, which takes the form of 121 olive trees arranged in a double row to form three large, tangential circles (of which the central one is the largest), and featuring a 12-metre-high pole to symbolise the union between heaven and earth. You are invited to make your way round the serpentine path between the rows, becoming in the process a part of this work, which encourages you to reflect on the potential for peaceful co-existence between mankind and nature, here symbolised by the third sphere – the “third paradise” of the title
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From Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Monday
From April to September 10am - 7pm
From October to January 6 and March 10am - 16pm
Last admission 2 hours before closing
By car
From the E45 Cesena-Orte highway: follow the signs for Assisi (SS 75), exit Ospedalicchio Sud (SR 147), continue on Via Campiglione - SR 147, turn left on Via San Vittorino and continue until the signs for the car parks at the Benedictine Complex of Santa Croce, in the navigator set the Parking of Santa Croce - Via San Vittorino.
Another possible entrance, specially marked, from the square of the Upper Basilica of San Francesco.
Recommended car parks in Assisi: “Giovanni Paolo II” and “San Giacomo” car parks.
Parking for cars on Via San Vetturino at the Benedictine complex of Santa Croce. Parking for buses and coaches at the start of Via San Vetturino
- FAI members: free admission *
- Full: € 6
- Reduced (6-18 years): € 3
- Children up to 5 years: free admission
- Students up to 25 years: € 4
- Residents of Assisi: € 3
- Family: (2 adults and children 6/18 years): € 16
- Groups minimum 15 pax: € 4
- National Trust members, Bienfaiteurs Amis du Louvre members, people with disabilities and a companion: free admission
- AI members: € 6
- Full: € 10
- Reduced (6-18 years): € 6
- Children up to 5 years: free admission
- Students up to 25 years: € 6
- Residents of Assisi: € 6
- Family: (2 adults and children 6/18 years): € 24
- Groups of at least 15 pax: € 8
For information and bookings: faiboscoassisi@fondoambiente.it
In the Bookshop at the Benedictine Complex of Santa Croce, discover the FAI products, you can also buy extra virgin olive oil from the Bosco di San Francesco.
There is a fully equipped picnic area, with the option to reserve tables.
Osteria del Mulino
The evocative setting of the woods and olive groves of the FAI - Bosco di San Francesco houses an ancient mill transformed into a restaurant. At the Osteria del Mulino you can enjoy an interesting and appetizing selection of Umbrian cuisine recipes.
From Tuesday to Sunday: 9am - 3,30pm
From Thursday to Sunday: 6pm - 10,30pm
Monday closed
Info and reservations: tel. +39 075 816831 - osteriadelmulino@alice.it
Free wi-fi is available at Bosco di San Francesco.
Disabled visitors can access free-of-charge those FAI properties that are open to the public by showing their ANMIC (Associazione Nazionale Mutilati e Invalidi Civili) card.
Access to the site is challenging for people with mobility problems. Please contact the property for more information.
Comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended
Dogs allowed on a leash
Choose the Woodland for your events
Magic, spirituality and nature: an enchanted woodland setting for your events
At the San Francesco Woodland in Assisi, the peace of nature reigns supreme. The natural environment here is typical of central Italy, with rolling hillsides, olive groves, forests of beech and oak, fields and clearings embellished by a thousand colours. There are also plenty of timid wild animals that will only approach those who know how to engage respectfully with them.
Here you can stage MICE and private events that are totally “green” and a world away from the chaos of the city. “L’Osteria del Mulino” offers catering facilities using local produce of the highest quality.
The large car park near the lower entrance greatly facilitates access.
By choosing a FAI property for your event, you are contributing to the conservation and protection of Italy’s heritage.
We look forward to hearing from you!
What can you do at the San Francesco Woodland?
Private events
Wedding receptions, aperitifs and dinners at sunset, concerts and plays, private parties, end-of-term school trips
Corporate away days
Presentations of books, small conferences, team-building activities, private visits
Photo/video shoots
Sets for photo and video shoots in the natural environment
Volunteering projects
Maintenance of the garden, the woodland and its paths, maintenance of the indoor areas and the furnishings, outdoor art courses and walks that will teach you how to recognise wild herbs
Special events
Food and wine: tastings of local wines and food products
Culture: guided tours taking in art, nature and unusual facts
Crafts: workshops and presentations with the local artisanal producers
For information
San Francesco Woodland (“Bosco di San Francesco”)
tel. (+39) 075 813157
faiboscoassisi@fondoambiente.it
Choose the best space for your event
Lunches / dinners: 40 people
Dimensions: 50 m2
Conferences: 25 people
Dimensions: 38 m2
Concerts and shows: 100 people
aAperitifs and dinners: 150 people
Dimensions: 450 m2
Concerts and shows: 500 people
Picnics and parties: 200 people
Dimensions: 600 m2
Seats: 100
Dimensions: 400 m2.
