Saint Francis is big business to the hilltop burg of Assisi, yes, but the impact of those centuries of deep piety cannot pass unperceived, cannot slip by unfelt.

Absolutely no lack of grand churches at every turn, though we went in only two. Santa Chiara was simple and elegant, the warmly pink marble giving a tender and very feminine cast to the experience of sitting beneath its arched ceiling. The duomo of Saint Francis is grander, more ornate, less like the personality of the one it honors. Be sure to be moved by the sight of the small friar's thoroughly patched garment downstairs.

The duomo of Orvieto may arguably be the most worship-inspiring church anywhere. If you go, plan to spend enough time inside to revel in the intense spirituality in evidence everywhere.

We would like to visit again someday, when our expectations are different, maybe when there aren't as many detours along the roadways in both directions. Difficult to be sensitive when stressed after a hard couple of hours' battle of traffic...