I'm counting the days to a 13 night trip to Southern Tuscany, staying in Cortona. I'll be there over Christmas and trying to decide where to go for mass on Christmas Day. I'll have a car. Considering Assisi but am wondering if anyone has had experiences in other nearby towns.
I'd also like to visit a few Christmas markets, if anyone has suggestions for those, too. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
I recall visiting a beautiful vintage church in Cortona but do not know it’s name. Google revealed several churches there. Of course attending Christmas mass at Assisi would be very special .
Mass at the Basilica in Assisi would indeed be very special. Likely you can find times for services online. Be aware that the churches generally are not heated and would likely be as cool inside as outside (and it can snow in Assisi). Also: you might well want to book your midday Christmas meal well ahead of time. My experience on Christmas Day in other Italian cities (including Florence, Rome, Lucca, and Siracusa) is that the restaurants that are open that day often only serve one meal - at midday - and are often booked many days ahead. I would expect that to be the case in Assisi.
A friend who's lived in Tuscany for decades says that Christmas is traditionally a very quiet family holiday in Tuscany, very different from what we expect in the US or even in Rome. I think it will be important to follow the advice to find a restaurant that will be open. You may also want to buy some food in stores to have handy in your hotel room.
Thank you for the information. I appreciate the reminders about restaurants on Christmas Day.
