Below the Basilica of San Francesco, a 1.5 km trail runs down through olive groves and woodland to the Benedictine complex of Santa Croce: a different way to experience Assisi, away from the stone of the historic centre.
A walk among the olive trees of the Bosco and back to the countryside? Check availability.
A wood cared for by the FAI
Bosco di San Francesco has belonged to the FAI (the Italian National Trust) since 2008, when it was bought thanks to a donation from Intesa Sanpaolo. You enter through a gate in the wall around the square of the upper Basilica, and the trail, sloping and unpaved, runs down to the Santa Croce complex, founded in the 13th–14th centuries by Benedictine nuns, with a Romanesque church, a mill and a 14th-century tower.
What you'll see along the way
Along the way you come across Michelangelo Pistoletto's Third Paradise: 121 olive trees planted in double rows forming three large tangent circles, easy to make out even from above. The trail has slopes and a few steps: the visit takes about 90 minutes.
Practical information
- Length
- 1.5 km, sloping
- Visit duration
- About 90 minutes
- Entrances
- Square of the upper Basilica and the Santa Croce complex
- Managed by
- FAI, since 2008
- Hours and tickets
- Vary by season — check the FAI website
Stay 7.5 km from the Basilica of San Francesco
About 18 minutes by car (Google Maps). You enter the Bosco from the square of the Upper Basilica; the other entrance is at Santa Croce, at the foot of Assisi.
From Agriturismo La Mora
The wood's main entrance, from the square of the upper Basilica of San Francesco, is 7.5 km from La Mora, about 18 minutes by car: you leave the car in one of Assisi's car parks and continue on foot. It's one of the easiest trips to fit into your stay — no need for a full day, it pairs comfortably with a visit to the Basilica or, from May to September, an afternoon at the pool on the way back.
You're there in 18 minutes, and back for the rest of the day.
- No middleman: you book directly with us
- 10% off stays of 7 nights or more
- 10% off if you've stayed with us before
- 25% deposit, balance on arrival
