Eremo delle Carceri

Eremo delle Carceri tickets: which one to buy

The Eremo delle Carceri, the Hermitage of the Prisons, stands in a wooded gorge on the slopes of Monte Subasio, about four kilometres above Assisi, in Umbria, and entry is free, with donations welcome. It is the place where Saint Francis of Assisi and his followers withdrew to pray in solitude, and it is one of the most peaceful Franciscan sites. Visitors can walk up from Assisi's Porta Cappuccini along a road through the forest, which takes about an hour, or take a taxi or a shuttle.

The hermitage is usually visited together with the Basilica of Saint Francis, the Basilica of Saint Clare and San Damiano, and walking tours of Assisi sometimes include the walk. The hermitage is active, with Franciscan friars, and visitors are asked to keep silence. The paths in the forest lead to small caves and chapels. Taxis from Assisi to the hermitage are available at Piazza del Comune, and many visitors walk back down.

Visiting Eremo delle Carceri: what to see

Hermits lived in the natural caves of the gorge before Saint Francis came here in the early thirteenth century, and the name Carceri refers to the places of retreat, where one is imprisoned in prayer. The Benedictine monks of Mount Subasio gave Francis a small chapel, and he and his companions used the caves for prayer. In the fifteenth century, Saint Bernardino of Siena built a small convent here, which still stands. Visitors walk through a small courtyard, into the tiny church, and down steps to the Grotto of Saint Francis, a cave where he slept on a stone bed. Outside, a path leads to an old holm oak tree, where according to tradition Francis preached to the birds, and a bridge over a dry stream bed, which is said to have stopped flowing at his request.

Small caves used by his companions are scattered in the forest along the paths. The small chapel of Saint Mary, the oldest part of the hermitage, holds a fresco of the Crucifixion. The convent's courtyard has a well and a view down the gorge. The friars' refectory is small and simple, with wooden benches. Statues of Saint Francis and his companions stand in the woods. A modern bronze sculpture shows Francis lying on the ground, looking at the sky. The forest's holm oaks are protected, and the paths are signposted. The hermitage's stone buildings blend into the rocky hillside. Visitors can sit on benches in the woods to pray or rest.

Eremo delle Carceri opening hours and the best time to go

The hermitage is open daily, from morning until late afternoon, and closes earlier in winter. Weekends and holidays bring many pilgrims, and weekday mornings are the quietest. Spring and autumn are beautiful for the walk up through the forest, and summer is cooler here than in Assisi. The feast of Saint Francis on 4 October brings pilgrims to Assisi and the hermitage. Allow about an hour at the hermitage, plus the walk from Assisi, and continue to the top of Monte Subasio for views over Umbria. The Basilica of Saint Clare, near the Porta Nuova in Assisi, holds the crucifix that spoke to Saint Francis at San Damiano.