Eremo delle Carceri Masses

The Eremo delle Carceri (Hermitage of the Prisons) is a beautiful forested area on the side of Mount Subasio where Francis and his early followers went to pray in silence. Like hermits in earlier centuries, they would retire into tiny caves, or "prisons", to spend quiet time in contemplation. Following the time of Francis, the hermitage building was expanded, while the surrounding forest remains a place of peaceful trails, small caves and natural beauty.

The Eremo is a popular destination for Assisi visitors. Often, by midday, the area outside the entrance gate is crowded with parked cars, taxis and small buses, while many more are hiking the two-plus mile steadily uphill road from Assisi. At such times, while inside is still a peaceful place, the Eremo paths tend not to be quite as tranquil.

For those seeking something closer to what Francis experienced, there's an early morning alternative for visiting the Eremo delle Carceri. If you set out from Assisi's Porta Cappuccini around 6:00 a.m. and start walking up the road at a moderate pace, it takes only about an hour to reach the Eremo entrance gate. Carry water. On the upper part of the road, there are three switchbacks, the first of which is just over halfway there. (Those unable to make the vigorous uphill climb may want to arrange for an early morning - about 6:50 a.m. - taxi ride from town.)

When you arrive, the gate should be open, with few if any people about. Walk through and continue along the path to the hermitage building. If it is before 7:10 a.m., you may have arrived in time for morning prayers with the friars and nuns who live at the hermitage. If it's a bit later, morning Mass begins at 7:30 a.m.

Proceed down the walkway and through the door.

From this point on, no cameras, no pets, no phones, no food and drink, and no noise. In a word, silence. Just to your right, as you enter onto a small piazza, there is an entry to a hallway. At the end of the hallway is a small church, built into the side of Mount Subasio, with rock actually projecting into the nave area. Here, the six or seven Franciscan occupants of the Eremo, plus any early morning visitors, celebrate Mass in an intimate and inspiring setting. Don't hesitate to enter as Mass is about to begin, as those inside are very welcoming.

After Mass, you may continue through hermitage rooms and stairways, past settings from centuries past, coming out onto the forest trails. Now, on most days at this hour, you may find a path to walk and pray in silence, with few if any other persons about.

In prior posts I've quoted French philosopher Simone Weil, writing about her visit to Assisi in the 1930's, descriptive words worth repeating,“When I got to Assisi, Milan, Florence, Rome and all the rest completely disappeared from my memory, so captivated was I by the gentle landscape, so miraculously evangelical and Franciscan, by the delightful churches, by a wealth of happy memories and by those noble examples of humanity- the Umbrian country folk, rich in beauty, physical strength, joy and kindness. 

Little had I dreamt such a marvelous place existed. I would have stayed for the rest of my life – if only women were accepted - at the tiny monastery of the Carceri, an hour and fourteen minutes walk up the mountainside from Assisi. No more heavenly and tranquil sight exists than Umbria as seen from up there. Saint Francis certainly knew how to choose the most ravishing spots to practice poverty: He was far from being an ascetic….”

Finally, if by mid-morning you are not quite ready to return to town, more trails and natural wonders await on Mount Subasio.

Ciao for now.