Santo Stefano

A tiny, plain Romanesque church on the steeply sloping Via Santo Stefano, a few minutes' walk west of the cathedral. The single-naved interior is essentially unaltered from the 12th century, the masonry exposed and the windows narrow.

The location, on a quiet residential street with vines climbing the houses opposite, gives a strong sense of medieval Assisi without the crowds. Easy to miss; ten minutes to visit. Worth the detour.

things to do sight church
A story
Local tradition holds that the bells of Santo Stefano rang of their own accord at the exact moment of St. Francis's death on the evening of 3 October 1226 — a story Vasari and several earlier hagiographers repeat.

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