Basilica di San Francesco — the two piazzas

The basilica is built in two levels: a lower church entered from the side and an upper church whose rose-windowed front looks out over the valley. Each has its own piazza, and both are large, open and paved in pink-white limestone.

The upper piazza is the one to photograph. A long arcade runs down one flank, the grass slopes away to the west, and the whole valley opens beyond the parapet, which means you can put someone against columns, against grass or against a hundred kilometres of Umbria without moving.

Because the front faces west, the façade is flat and grey until early afternoon and then turns cream, then pink through to sunset. The lower piazza with its double arcade stays cooler and works all day.

Photography is not permitted inside either church and the rule is enforced, so plan the session outdoors. The basilica is an active pilgrimage site — busiest around Easter, in early May and on 4 October — and check whether a service is running before you fix a time.