Assisi or Orvieto?

Both are great places to visit. My favourite thing to do is just walk the streets, and Assisi has the edge for me in that regard. Very enchanting in the evening.

As long as it's not too much of a detour.

Both places have a strong Catholic feel. Assisi was literally overwhelmed by the Franciscan phenomenon. Orvieto was a sleepy place till the Bolsena miracle (1263), and the huge Cathedral was built as a celebration. This explains why in both cities the main artistic places are the huge churches, completely out of scale with the rest of the towns. Assisi looks a little richer in sights and Orvieto is easier to reach. For both towns a full day may already be enough, but of course you can spend how much time you prefer.

I would pick Assisi for the city itself but also for day trip opportunities, if you’re interested.

Day trips:

• Perugia is close by train (or car), and the history is fascinating here, especially being able to walk through this underground area. I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie! https://invitationtotuscany.com/guide/italy/umbria/perugia/exploring-underground-perugia
• Spello is very close to Assisi - a tiny, charming village with lots of photo spots. But don’t go here if walking on steep lanes is an issue.

Also, in Assisi during World War II, the Assisi Network in Italy saved approximately 300 Jews from Nazi persecution by hiding Jewish refugees in 26 convents and monasteries and providing forged documents to ensure their safety. I will be staying in Assisi this year (along with Spello & Spoleto) and want to find that museum this time.
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30 years ago an Italian friend who grew up in Venice said Assisi was his favorite place in Italy. I think I would agree with the possible exception of Lucca. Orvieto was delightful as well (a touch less slammed by tourists) but Assisi was magical.

I say go for Orvieto as it is just a 70 minute local train ride from Rome Termini.

And the incredible Civita de Bagnoregio is just a short distance southwest of there. It is quite a sight.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civita_di_Bagnoregio

We’ve been to both villages twice. Of the two My preference is Assisi but both towns have churches that are filled with famous frescoes, would you rather see Giotto’s or Signorelli’s works? Also to keep in mind that Assisi was much more crowded. And I found Assisi had a more mystical feel to it…..

We went to both on the RS Village Italy tour. Assisi had one main and often steep street. Orvieto felt larger to me, more side streets to wander down and it wasn't as steep (and flat in areas). If I was picking just one it would be Orvieto for 2 nites. But as others have pointed out Assisi is more convenient if you're using it as a base for a few nites and want to do daytrips.

I also visited both via the Village Italy tour and would choose Orvieto to return to first, maybe because there were so many more tourists in Assisi during my visit. Orvieto draws for me: the cathedral, walls to walk, winding streets, tours of the "undercroft" of the city, exploring nearby Umbrian locales. Light reading as an introduction: The Lady in the Palazzo and The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club, both by Marlena Di Blasi.

Orvieto, no question. We stayed at the Hotel Corso, which I recommend.

We did a daytrip to Assisi a couple years ago, while staying at an agriturismo outside of Spoleto. Attempting to walk the streets was frustrating and dangerous, as it’s not pedestrianized, and aggressive drivers in cars were not sharing the streets with any patience or courtesy towards people walking. It’s tough to appreciate a places when you have to look over your shoulder every 5 seconds to see if another vehicle is bearing down on you. Sidewalks were unsuitable for avoiding being in traffic.

The Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi was clearly the main destination for most (read: packed with people), and while the city has historic attributes, it was, overall, unsatisfying. I’m glad we didn’t stay there.

Orvieto, on the other hand, has a better setting, lots of history and sights, and excellent restaurants, too.

That’s a really difficult choice to make! A bit more to see in Assisi and it does have its magic, but as others have said, Orvieto is slightly less overrun with tourists and therefore a more relaxed atmosphere, and the cathedral in Orvieto is awesome.

Orvieto for sure. It’s easy to get to from Rome. The cathedral is stunning. If you go, don’t pass
up the Luca Signorelli frescoes inside. (I think a separate ticket is needed.). There is also a small but interesting museum on the same piazza with some good Etruscan artifacts.
You can also take a walking tour of Patrick’s well, a Renaissance structure (designed by Sangallo?), built to ensure a water supply in the event of a military siege.
There are many caves and underground tunnels that can be visited via walking tours.

I've been to Assisi on an overnight. Have only been on the outskirts of Orvieto.

The comments about how packed Assisi was...we were there on a weekday in March and it was fairly quiet. You said spring--maybe you're going late spring? Just in defense of Assisi, it does depend on when you go.

We were there in October. We did get a parking spot in a paid parking lot, although cars were parked along the road heading up into town. The Basilica was absolutely jammed. Maybe spring sees different crowds.

Orvieto was not crowded in the fall. Not deserted, but not overwhelmed.

We also visited both Assisi and Orvieto on the RS Village Italy tour last spring. We really enjoyed Orvieto and found Assisi to be overwhelmed with tourists. Orvieto was much quieter and felt more like a town with real people.

Unfortunately, 2025 was probably not the year to visit Assisi. On another note, a restaurant sent a bunch of American students with their adults to find euros and when I said credit card only, no cash she reluctantly accepted my credit card.

Left a bad taste for Assisi.