Today is Festa della Repubblica.
After staying in Assisi for 5 nights, I drove this morning to Gubbio, intending to stop over on the way to base in Gubbio.
Well the parking lots were packed around 11:30 AM when I arrived. The closest parking to the centro was blocked so you couldn't even drive to it.
Drove around, further and further from the centro and gave up.
When I arrived in Urbino, it wasn't as packed though a lot of the restaurants were busy. But I was able to park and get to my hotel. They did close down the main streets in the centro for today. I wasn't planning to enter the ZTL, though the hotel could have gotten me a permit to drop off my luggage normally.
Even this past weekend, there were activities around Assisi, People were parking about 2 kilometers away and there were shuttle buses but I chose to drive on day trips to Trevi, Montefalco and Bevagna. Lot of people visiting these towns since it was a nice sunny day but I could find parking.
But another reason early June may not be the optimal time, at least for me, is hay fever. My eyes have been burning up, my noses running. But the fields look beautiful, freshly mown with haystacks strewn, with beautiful Umbrian cities in the background.