Visit Assisi, the town of Saint Francis, and enjoy Cortona, a quaint medieval village full of history and beauty, made famous by the book turned movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” by Frances Mayes. Your journey will be in a fully-equipped car, where you will be accompanied by a knowledgeable English-speaking driver. Assisi, the birthplace of Saint Francis and Saint Chiara, is a city full of spirituality, and it has several beautiful old churches. The “Basilica of St Francis”, a great monument to the Saint, built after his canonization in 1228, contains frescoes by great artists such as Giotto, Cimabue and Lorenzetti. The “Cattedrale di San Ruffino”, the “Basilica di Santa Chiara” and the “Basilica degli Angeli” are also worth visiting. The last of these was built over (and around) the tiny chapel, the Porziuncola, where the angels visited St Francis. Besides its many churches, Assisi also has some fine non-religious buildings and architecture, such as the “Piazza del Comune”, the “Palazzo del Comune” and the “Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo”. During the visit to Assisi, we will stop for a typical local lunch. Afterward we will head to Cortona, one of the oldest cities in Tuscany, founded by the Etruscans, whose work can still be seen in the foundations of the town's massive stone walls. The city was a major seat of power during the Middle Ages, able to hold its own against larger towns like Siena and Arezzo until it was sold to Florence and lost its autonomy. Today Cortona is also known as the setting for the book and movie written by Frances Mayes where she was accurately states, here we really are under the beautiful Tuscan sun!