San Francesco al prato

Hello dear readers, this time around I am going to show you around and give out some information when it comes to finding a nice chill out area in the beautiful city of Perugia. This special blog post is very much usefull particularly in these days, as the temperatures have continued to rise day by day reaching 22 degrees celsious in the afternoon. Though this should not be the only reason why you may be motivated to look for a chil-out spot, Perugia has some knock-out spots when it comes to outdoor chilling areas. There is so much to choose from that you can only discover them all by spending a considerable period of time in this Etruscan city.

I personally believe that the reason why there are so many outdoor chilling spots/ panoramic view points with a green area, is because theold town area of Perugia is located on a higher ground than the rest of the town. Therefore whenever you are at the edge of the 'border-line' of the old town, from here you can have a jaw-dropping view of the out-skirts of Perugia and the other towns nearby. So every reason is valid to give ourselves a well diserved chill'out time in between of our supposedly 'busy' schedules; that is why I have decided to take you on a little tour and show you one of my favorite chill-out area, which is called San Franceso al prato, a breath of fresh air in this dynamic city.

Source

Why chill-out at San Franceso al prato ?

This area green area surrounded on one side by a church and on the other by the Accademy of Fine Arts os Perugia, is a well known chilling-out spot among young people. Whenever there is a warm and sunny day everybody in town starts to feel the need to go to San Franceso al prato, lay down on the green grass and fell the sun on your skin, attempting a precoutious tan in the end of March. 

Source

Actually there are no limitations to what you can do on this pubblic green area. In the past I have seen people throw frisbee around, enjoy a pic nic by the shade, bring you dog for a walk. Last time I was here at San Franceso al prato was just two days ago. Since the day was warm and sunny we decided on the spot to spend the afternoon at this chill-out spot and I tell it was soo worh it. We came prepared for our chill-out time: once we chose a location near a group of other people, we pulled our blankets out and layed them on the green grass (I suggest you to bring one as well because it will make your experience more enjoyable, as you won't have to worry about getting your clothes dirty). The group of friends I was with had brought some musical instruments including a guitar and a tambourine. So once we all got a good feel of the warmness of the sun, we all started playing  and singing for a good while. 

Source 

In this place you see also a church known as the Church of Saint Francis with its won bell tower standing on the side of the church itself. This church underwent many reconstructions and design improvements. On the left side of Saint Francis church you can also find a small chapel known as the Chapel of Saint Bernardino. This two monuments are very important to the historical and religious repertoire of Perugia. So if you are interested in visiting chapels and churches this two deserve to be visited.

Source

So as you visit Perugia in spring, summer or early autumn I hope you get a chance to sit back and chill-out at San Francesco al prato.Therefore if you happen to be in Perugia during late autumn or early spring (excluding the winter) be aware that it gets quite windy here on this chill-out spot so be sure to bring something to keep you warm, a nice circle of good 'all friends is also a good protection against the cold wind.

I hope that this blog post was helpful and motivating enough to catch the next plane (train, bus or car, that is up to you) and come to Perugia for a weekend or two.

Thanks for reading. Cheers to you all.