Eremo Delle Carceri
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Why go
- Santa Maria delle Carceri, which incorporates a chapel older than Francis.
- Original 15th-century choir stalls and refectory tables.
- The triangular cloister terrace overlooking the Carceri ravine.
- The cloister well, where legend says Francis brought forth water.
Opening hours
Today06:30 – 18:00Show all
Don't miss
- Virgin and Child frescoLook for the altarpiece fresco inside Santa Maria delle Carceri.Church of Santa Maria delle Carceri.
- Companions’ cavesA path from Francis’s grotto leads towards caves associated with Leone and Bernardo di Quintavalle.Along the path from the Grotto of St. Francis.
- Stone bridge and ancient oakThe nearby oak is linked to the bird-sermon legend, though historical sources place the sermon at Piandarca.Near the hermitage.
- Hole inside Francis’s grottoA hole in the floor looks down to the ravine’s bottom. Legend says it formed when the devil fell into the abyss after Rufino drove him away.Inside the Grotto of St. Francis.
Know before you go
- The choir and refectory can be visited only with a friar from the community.
- The Chapel of San Barnaba, in the wood outside the sanctuary near the path to Leone’s grotto, is usually closed to the public.
Tips for your visit
- A short tunnel from the entrance leads to the courtyard.
- Look for the door marked Santuario to reach the 15th-century oratory.
- The descent from the convent to the beech wood and Francis’s grotto uses a steep staircase.
Interesting facts3
-
791 metres
The hermitage stands 791 metres above sea level.
Eremo delle Carceri - Wikipedia -
2000
It lies within the Natura 2000 site Fosso dell’Eremo delle Carceri (Monte Subasio).
Eremo delle Carceri - Wikipedia -
Local tradition says Francis dried up the ravine’s former watercourse because its noise disturbed meditation.
Eremo delle Carceri - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
Carceri evokes secluded places: here, “carcere” means a solitary place suited to prayer. The site was once called “i sassi del maloloco”, or “the rocks of the dark place”.
- 1205When Francis first arrived, the only building was a small 12th-century oratory.
- 1215The Benedictines probably gave him the site and oratory.
- Around 1400Bernardino of Siena enlarged the earlier chapel with Santa Maria delle Carceri and built a small friary with a choir and refectory.
How to get there
- On footAddress: Via Eremo delle Carceri 38, Monte Subasio, Assisi, Province of Perugia, Umbria. From the road climbing Monte Subasio, a cobbled path leads through a masonry arch to the friars’ small cloister.
Sources: Eremo delle Carceri - Wikipedia · Home - Eremo delle Carceri · Chi siamo - Eremo delle Carceri · Eremo delle Carceri - Wikipedia · Eremo delle Carceri - Wikipedia · Eremo delle Carceri - Wikipedia · Eremo Delle Carceri: booking (its own site) · checked 6 Oct 2026
- Phone
- +39 075 812301
Questions and answers
How can I enquire about tickets to Eremo delle Carceri?
The sanctuary’s website offers ticket booking. For enquiries, call +39 075 812301.
What does “Carceri” mean here?
It refers to a secluded, solitary place suited to prayer.
What are Eremo delle Carceri’s opening hours?
Daily, 06:30–18:00.
Does the route to Saint Francis’s grotto involve stairs?
Yes. A steep staircase descends from the convent to the beech wood and grotto.
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