What is the Way of St Francis? It is an itinerary that connects some of the places that witnessed the life and preaching of the Saint of Assisi; a pilgrimage route that intends to revive the Franciscan experience in the lands that the “Poverello” (the poor one) had trodden: The landscapes on which the eye of the pilgrim rests are the same that moved the simple heart of Francis; the places of each stop preserve the memory of his words and his deeds; the people who you meet along the way are connected to him.
The figures of the trail:
Length: 189 + 247 km
Stops: 10 + 14
Maximum altitude: 1133 m
How long is the Way of St Francis?
The Way of St Francis consists of two different trails which lead to Assisi. The Northern track leaves from La Verna and is 189 kilometres in length, the Southern track leaves from Rome and is 247 kilometres in length.
What are the stops of the Way of St Francis?
The Way of St Francis is divided into the Northern track (from La Verna) and the Southern (from Rome); both have variations, verified alternative itineraries or suggestions to reach and visit some important Franciscan places that would otherwise be excluded.
The Northern track
1 La Verna ➔ Pieve Santo Stefano 14,9
2 Pieve Santo Stefano ➔ Pian della Capanna 16,7
3 Pian della Capanna ➔ Sansepolcro 18,2
4 Sansepolcro ➔ Citerna 12,4
5 Citerna ➔ Città di Castello 19,9
6 Città di Castello ➔ Pietralunga 29,3
7 Pietralunga ➔ Gubbio 26
8 Gubbio ➔ Eremo di San Pietro in Vigneto 16,3
9 Eremo di San Pietro in Vigneto ➔ Valfabbrica 21,7
P.1 Variante Valfabbrica ➔ Perugia 27,3
P.2 Variante Perugia ➔ Assisi 25,3
10 Valfabbrica ➔ Assisi 13,5
The Northern track by bike
N1 La Verna ➔ Città di Castello 67,9
N2 Città di Castello ➔ Gubbio 54,7
N3 Gubbio ➔ Assisi 55,3
P Variante Pianello ➔ Perugia ➔ Bastia 37,4
The Southern track
1 Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano ➔ Monte Sacro 15,2
2 Monte Sacro ➔ Monterotondo 18,7
3 Monterotondo ➔ Ponticelli di Scandriglia 29,4
F.1 Variante per l’abbazia di Farfa 26,2
4 Ponticelli di Scandriglia ➔ Poggio San Lorenzo 20,1
5 Poggio San Lorenzo ➔ Rieti 21,6
6 Rieti ➔ Poggio Bustone 17,6
R.1 Variante Rieti ➔ Greccio 23,4
R.2 Variante Greccio ➔ Terni 22,1
R.3 Variante Terni ➔ Arrone 16,2
7 Poggio Bustone ➔ Piediluco 22,1
8 Piediluco ➔ Arrone 12,8
9 Arrone ➔ Ceselli 15
10 Ceselli ➔ Spoleto 16,1
11 Spoleto ➔ Poreta 14,9
12 Poreta ➔ Trevi 12
13 Trevi ➔ Foligno 12,5
14 Foligno ➔ Assisi 19,3
14A Foligno ➔ Assisi (escursionistica) 22,5
The Southern track by bike
S1 Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano ➔ Monterotondo 36,8
S2 Monterotondo ➔ Ponticelli di Scandriglia 30,6
S3 Ponticelli di Scandriglia ➔ Rieti 49,7
S4 Rieti ➔ Piediluco 44,2
R Variante Rieti ➔ Terni ➔ Arrone 86,2
S5 Piediluco ➔ Spoleto 59,9
S6 Spoleto ➔ Assisi 54,8
When to go
The Way of St Francis crosses longitudinally all of Umbria and the territory of Sabina, located in the centre of the peninsula.
The region has a semi sub-continental and semi Mediterranean climate: summer is not too hot and winter is not too cold. Relevant climate factors include the obvious altitude, which is very varied and determines a large number of microclimates. The rain is mainly concentrated in the period from October to March; and the least rainy month is July.
The area of Rome has pleasant temperatures in autumn and spring.
Summer is warm and humid but often pleasantly breezy. Even in winter, when there is rain, it is mild and hardly leads to frost.
How to obtain the credential of the Way of St Francis?
The credential of the Way of St Francis must be requested at least three weeks before departure from the association PiccolAccoglienza Gubbio. The postal service is free of charge, however an offer to cover the shipping costs is welcome. To receive the credential, you must go on the website www.viadifrancesco.it, visit the section “Credenziale del Pellegrino” (Credential of the Pilgrim), and complete the online form.
The signage of the Way of St Francis
The signage of the Way of St Francis is complete and safe, thanks to the collaboration between the associations of volunteers of the Via and public bodies.
In the Tuscan stretch you have to follow the red-white trail of Cai and Tau Giallo. In Umbria yellow-blue markers will appear and poles with the same colours are integrated with the white-red arrows of Cai. In Lazio, the situation is the same as in Umbria.
Although the guide is designed to accompany the pilgrim in the direction of Assisi, the signs are positioned so as to allow the journey of the Way of St Francis in both directions.
La guida
The Way of St Francis in Umbria is promoted and curated by the Region of Umbria and Sviluppumbria www.umbriatourism.it – www.viadifrancesco.it
