Leisure time in Montefalco or go off to Assisi and beyond?

Is this unfair? Well, your description has certainly stacked the cards against Assisi. It sounds like you know what you want to do, so I’d be foolish to tell you how Assisi’s affected me. It might do nothing for you, knowing you are missing a different unique experience. Assisi is unique but so is the truffle experience. Follow what you really want to do.

I was in both towns last May. Both places have strenuous hills. It will keep you in shape after that farm-to-table dinner.

I like Montefalco a lot. There is no comparison to Assisi though. Assisi is a shrine, a holy place, a place of reverence. Yes, your comments are unfair.
Montefalco is a beautiful traditional town. It attracts many visitors but is not a holy site.

Thank you for your perspectives. I appreciate your point that they are
two very different towns. As for the “shrine” aspect of Assisi,
after 19 years of quality Catholic education (parochial grammar
school, high school, college and nursing school) my cultural
preferences lean more toward the neighborhood salumeria or
hardware store. Shrines and basilicas are okay - with free admission - but not
high on my “must see” list.

Hi Tom- I think it's very reasonable to consider skipping Assisi and opting for a leisurely exploration of Montefalco. I was on the Village Italy tour in June 2023 and was disappointed that we did not have more time there, but I was also frustrated with our Assisi visit!
It was quite hot, so our time in Assisi was cut short as several in the group wanted to return to the villa and swim in the pool. I would rather have stayed in Assisi, even though it was extremely crowded. I had been planning to do Rick's Assisi town walk, but that's the way it goes on a group tour- majority rules. We did not go truffle hunting until the evening.

I enjoyed the Village Italy tour, but was disappointed with the two night stays everywhere. I felt like I was always unpacking and packing. My husband and I are spending seven nights in Umbria at the end of March, but will not be going to Assisi. He just doesn't want to deal with the crowds. Assisi is like many other popular destinations in Italy- best early in the am or in the pm- before/after the day-trippers.

So, if you want to take a break from the bus and crowds to enjoy tranquil Montefalco, you should!

When we took the Village Italy tour in October 2023 I really enjoyed Montefalco. Small and charming which was perfect as the Village Italy tour is a go-get'em experience. It was grand, but I really appreciated the quieter moments of Montefalco.

I grew up Catholic with 12 years of schooling. I am not religious or practicing but I found Assisi quite interesting for a number of reasons. I had no idea people of all walks of life and heritage do pilgrimages there, for example. And there's more to the story of St. Francis than I was ever told.

Regardless, I still can feel the lovely evening at an outdoor table with local wine in the lovely town of Montefalco.

I think you are after validation, so here you go. If don't want to go to Assisi you don't need to.

Personally, a non-Catholic, a Bahá'í in fact, I felt wonderful both at the small church at the bottom of the hill and at the Basilica. Perhaps even more at the bottom of the hill with the nuns.

I have never been to the other, but for me I loved Assisi and the area around.

So, as we used to say 50 years (??!!!?? wow) ago - different strokies for different folkies. Neither is a wrong answer.

To clarify my initial query, rather than looking for validation, I was hoping for some
unvarnished perspectives and recollections on Montefalco and Assisi from people
who toured there with RS. I once had hopes of finding these opinions within
tour reviews. Unfortunately, in my 15 years taking RS tours, I have never seen a one,
two or three star review from a tour member. Five and four star rave-reviews are front
and center. Does the “our people policy emphasizes NO GRUMPS!” extend to
reviews? A question posted via the forum is more likely to return the very helpful
recollections and opinions of fellow travelers. Thanks to all for your insights.

sorry, my visit described above was not on a tour

I haven't take the specific RS tour that you plan to take, but I've been to both Assisi and Montefalco. They are very different experiences, and I am sure you have read of the main sights of Assisi, which we loved, particularly the frescoes. We got "lost" there, and found beautiful views as we wandered through peaceful alleyways above the town. We also loved the town of Montefalco, which I recommend for a different reason than many so far--the food, the wine, the people, and of course the unexpected encounters there. Make a reservation for your dining experience, if you can, so you won't be disappointed. The two of us were fortunate to have a spectacular lunch squeezed into a corner when we showed up without one. Enjoy your choice, whichever it is.

Different people will have different experiences at ths various sites on a tour. It seems clear you feel you will enjoy Montefalco more than Assisi, it really doesn't matter what other people think. Your comment on another post mentions starting to feel rushed on RS tours, so maybe this isn't the tour for you.

I'll add that I need to read itineraries more closely in future--I wish I had done so before the Portugal tour. I'm not a religious person and 3 cloisters, and especially Fatima really didn't interest me. Not really any point in dinging the tour as they were in the itinerary.

I like to holiday at my own pace, it's why I don't go on tours. If you mean two 10 hour days in Montefalco, the second day will be much the same as the first, not necessarily a bad thing. Your choice.

I don't subscribe to the concept of 'must-sees' but I found Assisi to be an especially attractive village, especially at sunset (which you won't experience by the sounds of it). Don't know how much time you will spend there on your tour day, with all the other things going off, but you are not likely to walk the steep side streets, unless by choice.

We did our own DIY hilltop village tour a few years ago in Umbria. I recognize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder so these are my opinions. Obviously, others liked Montefalco. We didn't. Of the villages we visited, I would rate Assisi near the top and Montefalco at the bottom. Assisi is the most crowded but also the most historically and religiously interesting (even though I am not Catholic). And it is beautiful. Montefalco seemed less interesting and less charming than many other villages. It seemed more worn around the edges but not in a good sands-of-time way. It did have a massive parking lot for tour buses ("untouristed"?), which may account for why it winds up on so many lists. I would not return there.
The other villages I would happily return to are Trevi (impressively set on a high hill with comparatively less tourist infrastructure - this was my favorite, was uncrowded, seemed the most genuine, and felt the least like a tourist trap), Gubbio (again, a beautiful village with a nice museum and wonderful shops and restaurants - but the hill is steep), Spello (not as hilly as the others but still very charming).
The whole area is beautiful and there are many beautiful villages to visit.

Ooops. Point of clarification on the 10 hour estimate - 5 per evening:
we arrive for our first night in Montefalco - after a 5 hr. bus ride - in the
afternoon and find our own spot for dinner. Sunset is at 8:35pm.

The next morning will have us (typically) back on the bus between
8:30 and 9:00 am and off to Assisi. After taking care of our own lunches
somewhere in Assisi. it’s back on the bus for a late afternoon rendezvous
with a farmer and his truffle-hunting dog; a country estate farm-to-table
dinner; then on the bus, back to Montefalco for an 8:37pm sunset,

With time need to pack for departure and get a good night’s rest, enjoying
the town during the final evening is not easy. You finish the day’s tour activities
a bit tired. The next morning will start with a rushed early breakfast, swift
check-out and loading into the bus. Staying up late in Montefalco may not be wise.
But after 7 RS tours, we have accepted this hurry-up/tight-schedule/we-have-miles-to-go
regimen as the nature of the tour package. It generally works.

If only one day in the area is planned, it makes sense to stay where your accomodation is instead of touring. But this is has little to do about the merits of Montefalco and Assisi, and it has much to do with the pace of the tour and the planning of accomodations. Personally I work with a symphony orchestra and we do many whirlwind tours, six concerts in seven days in six different cities, but I would never choose to do such a thing in my leisure time.

Assisi is not a Disneyland, it is one of the many Montefalcos of Italy that at a point of history was hit by a sort of spiritual tornado that left it with a spiritual heritage, several monuments and a signature cycle of frescos; above all left following generations wondering how the thing had been possible. But if you are too tired and to distant to appreciate Assisi, staying in Montefalco is the right thing to do.