Via di San Francesco: from La Verna to Assisi – VSF2

Along medieval pilgrim paths from La Verna to Assisi

Italy has a ‘Green Heart’, where it is a real pleasure to walk through the lovely countryside.

From La Verna you start walking in southern direction, through the most eastern part of Tuscany. Here you’ll pass at the beautiful small town of Sansepolcro, worth a prolonged visit, if alone for its beautiful paintings by Piero della Francesca (with an optional extra day walk you can visit beautiful Anghiari too). Then you cross the ‘border’ and enter Umbria, the ‘mystical’ Heart of Italy, the region most of all associated with Saint Francis of Assisi and where his legacy is still very much alive in many of the places you cross along your route.

You’ll have the time to explore beautiful Città di Castello, a charming medieval town, and stunning Gubbio, before arriving at the world-famous Assisi, with its impressive basilica dedicated to St. Francis.

This tour will take you mostly away from the ‘major’ tourist attraction, and you’ll see that central Italy is a land full of ‘minor’ cultural treasures, ranging from the lesser-known small medieval towns, to sanctuaries and monasteries. However, the emphasis of the tour is to enjoy the countryside, the poppies in Spring and the wild cyclamen in Autumn. Most of all, many of the views have changed little for hundreds of years.  Eastern Tuscany and Umbria are areas where you can still feel the genuine heart of Italy. You’ll walk at an easy pace, taking in the best of Central Italy.

You’ll walk along the best parts of the long-distance trails in the area, the ‘Via di San Francesco’. You walk from village to village, fully immersed in the world-famed Tuscan and Umbrian landscape, covered with olive groves and scattered with picturesque small towns. Walking here is an unforgettable experience!

N.B. This is a moderately challenging tour which is suitable for those who have experience with walking and are in good general physical condition. Shorter options are possible on several days.

The walking times indicated are approximate and are given for the main route. The indicated walking times are ‘net walking times’, i.e. without stops. Therefore, calculate carefully the amount of time needed, based on your fitness and interests. Shorter and longer walking options are given for most days.

Day-to-Day programme

Day 1 – Arrival in La Verna

You arrive in Chiusi della Verna, where you settle in your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you can go in the area of the sanctuary of La Verna, a stunning place in a beautiful natural setting, only few steps to your accommodation. The sanctuary was built in the earliest years of the thirteenth century on Mount Verna, which St. Francis chose as its location.

Hotel *** – Chiusi della Verna
Approx. walking time: 1 h. + sightseeing time.

Day 2 – From La Verna to Caprese Michelangelo

Today’s walk takes you from La Verna to the small village of Caprese Michelangelo. In case you did not have the time to fully visit the sanctuary yesterday, do walk back there this morning and take your time to visit. After about 14 km from the start you reach the small hamlet of Fragaiolo and 2 km further the hamlet of Lama. Here you can perhaps buy a drink or an icecream.

Almost at the end of the walk, after passing along the Hermitage of the Casella (Eremo della Casella), you arrive in the modern part of the village of Caprese Michelangelo, birthplace of Michelangelo Buonarroti. A few 100 m. uphill bring you to the old town, where both your hotel, as well as the house of Michelangelo are located! Do go and visit the small museum!

Hotel *** – Caprese Michelangelo
Distance: 18 km. Approx. walking time: 5 h. Ascent & descent: +500 /- 1000 m.

Day 3 – From Caprese to Sansepolcro

After breakfast you start a long walk, but with relatively few climbs, and longer downhill sections. It takes you to one of the most beautiful small towns of eastern Tuscany, the city of Sansepolcro, birthplace of Piero della Francesca, one of the most famous painters of the renaissance period.

The first part is through the hills. Then you pass the top of the Monte Fungaia, from where it goes all downhill to Lake Montedoglio, home to numerous fish species. From here you walk until Sansepolcro, whose area is surrounded by green hills dotted with tobacco fields. Piero della Francesco depicted the village in many of his works.

Hotel *** – Sansepolcro
Distance: 25 km. Approx. walking time: 6,5 h. Ascent & descent: +300 /- 600 m.

Day 4 – From Sansepolcro to Citerna

Today’s walk is only a very short walk, which takes you from Tuscany into Umbria, from Sansepolcro to Citerna. Here, the landscape becomes gentler and the Umbrian countryside begins. Take your time to walk around in Sansepolcro – and perhaps visit the Civic Museum that preserves some of the Piero Della Francesca’s great masterpieces– and leave late. Once you leave Sansepolcro, the route mainly runs along cultivated fields and old country houses. You arrive in Citerna, renowned as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages and located on a hill in the Upper Tiber Valley. It stands as an ancient fortress with functions of observation over the surrounding lands.

Hotel *** – Citerna
Distance: 13 km. Approx. walking time: 3,5 h. Ascent & descent: +200 /- 100 m.

Day 5 – From Citerna to Città del Castello

Today you walk through hills dotted with chestnut and oak forests. Once you have reached the ridge of the hills in the locality of Le Burge, you can enjoy a 180° view of the Tiber Valley and the Umbrian landscape, featuring hills, hillside villages, woods and churches. Along the way, a votive shrine and an iron cross indicate the Franciscan hermitage of Buon Riposo, which gets its name from the fact that St Francis stopped there.

The last stretch leads to the Cathedral of Città di Castello, which welcomes pilgrims on their way to Assisi. Città di Castello has an important arts tradition: important artists worked here and solemn buildings and monumental churches were built, like the Cathedrals, St Dominic and St Francis. Città di Castello is also home to one of the greatest Umbrian modern artists, Alberto Burri, whose works can be found in the town’s two museums.

Hotel *** – Città di Castello
Distance: 21 km. Approx. walking time: 6 h. Ascent & descent: +600 /- 800 m.

Day 6 – From Città del Castello to Pietralunga

Today a long walk which takes you, uphill and downhill, through silent woods to the village of Pietralunga. You pass Il Sasso, a resting area, then you reach Pieve de’ Saddi, a Parish church renowned as the cradle of Upper Tiber Valley Christianity. The church is linked to the cult of St. Crescenziano, a Roman legionary who, according to legend, slayed a terrible dragon there.

The path continues on with uphill and downhill areas through valleys and fields until Pietralunga. You can visit the old heart of the town, which has preserved the atmosphere of a medieval village encircled by walls.

Hotel *** – Pietralunga
Distance: 28 km. Approx. walking time: 8 h. Ascent & descent: +800 /- 500 m.

N.B. You can reduce the length of the stage by opting for an intermediate stopover place – or take a private transfer halfway

Day 7 – From Pietralunga to Loreto

Today’s itinerary includes a long walk again, which takes you to one of the most beautiful medieval towns of central Italy, worth a prolonged visit. For that reason we recommend to split this walk in two stages, so that on the second day you arrive by lunchtime in Gubbio and then have the whole afternoon to visit.

Th stretch passes along the mountain valleys. You cross open meadows, a forest of conifers, fields and poplars. Then you reach the village of Loreto, a good place to stopover to cut the stage in two.

Hotel *** – Loreto
Distance: 19 km. Approx. walking time: 5,5 h. Ascent & descent: 600 /- 500 m.

N.B. You can also walk directly to Gubbio without a stopover in Loreto. However, we recommend a stopover, so that the next day you have enough time to explore beautiful Gubbio.

Day 8 – From Loreto to Gubbio

After breakfast in Loreto, you proceed along villages and cultivated fields, until Gubbio. You can also cut a part of the last stage, taking a bus to Gubbio. In the town, in front of the church of St Francis, there is a statue of Francis and the wolf, in memory of the miraculous taming of the ferocious beast by the Saint.. The church seems to have been built on land owned by the Spadalonga family, who dressed St. Francis after he abandoned his family home. Your hotel is in the old medieval town

Hotel *** – Gubbio
Distance: 11 km. Approx. walking time: 3 h. Ascent & descent: +100 /- 100 m.

Day 9 – From Gubbio to Biscina

Then you get the church Delle Ripe or Madonna delle Grazie. Afterward, you start to go mainly uphill, coming across the hermitage of San Pietro in Vigneto and the church of Caprignone. At the end of the walk you arrive at the castle of Biscina. Your accomodation is right before the castle.

Today’s walk is relatively long, and has a few hills, but only towards the end. The first part takes you through the plain below Gubbio. After few km from the start you reach the small hamlet of Ponte d’Assi. You continue on walking between the valley of the Chiaschio river, with castles standing on hilltops.

Biscina, Agriturismo
Distance: 22 km. Approx. walking time: 5,5 h. Ascent & descent: + 550 /- 550 m.

N.B. In case you want to stay at the Convento of  ‘San Pietro in Vigneto’: you can book this place yourself. They have special prices for pilgrims but this ‘donativo’ has to be paid on the spot (cash).

Day 10 – From Biscina to Assisi

After Valfabbrica, you proceed to Assisi. Already the entrance – through the ‘forest’ of Assisi, with arrival directly at the Basilica is a highlight of your walking tour. We suggest to visit the Bosco di San Francesco (Forest of St Francis) managed by the FAI (Italy’s National Trust). Then take your time to wander through the town itself. Your hotel is right in the heart of the ‘centro storico’.

The stage from Biscina to Assisi, the most iconic place linked to the figure of St. Francis, the city of Assisi itself, is possible in one day, but it would be a long walk again. Therefore, we recommend to split this stage in two stages (staying overnight at Valfabbrica). With a stop at Valfabbrica, on the second walking day you arrive by lunchtime in Assisi and then have the whole afternoon to visit.

Hotel *** – Assisi
Distance: 27 km. ( 2 x 13,5 km.). Approx. walking time: 5 h. Ascent & descent: +400 /- 300 m.

N.B. You can reduce the length of the stage by opting for a stop-over in Valfabbrica.

Day 11 – Departure

End of the tour. From your accommodation we can arrange a private transfer to the railway station of Assisi or to your next destination.

TOUR DETAILS

ACCOMMODATION & MEALS

All nights are spent in beautiful, characteristic family-run hotels, Bed & Breakfasts or agriturismo’ s (generally 3-star level; upgrade on request). All rooms have en-suite facilities.

No picnic lunches are included in the tour price, but these can be prepared for you by the accommodation holders, or materials for picnics can be purchased in the villages where you’ll be staying. On some occasions you have the option to have your lunch in a restaurant along the way.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY

Moderate (2/3): Mostly moderately easy walks, with some long stages, involving some steep uphill walking, sometimes on paths with rough surfaces. On some days extensions or shortcuts are possible.

Fitness: High standard of fitness is necessary: you should be able to walk for up to 7 hours a day, also in the hot sun on dusty or stony tracks.  N.B. During summer the difficulty of this tour definitely increases due to the heat. We therefore advise against booking this tour during the Summer season.

FOOTPATHS & WAYMARKING

Footpaths: Most paths are well maintained, but during the season some paths can get overgrown. The journey involves some walking uphill, sometimes on paths with rough surfaces.

Waymarking: A large part of the route is waymarked – with different signs, explained in full in the route notes. Elsewhere you need to follow the route descriptions / GPX-tracks.

INCLUSIONS:

• 10 nights accommodation – BB
• Luggage transfer (on request discount for carrying your own luggage)
• Extensive route notes, with description of the route & tourist information & maps at 1: 25.000 scale or better
• GPS-tracks
• Pilgrim Passport
• 24/7 h assistance

NOT INCLUDED:

• Departure taxes & Visas
• Travel Insurance
• Tourist tax
• Drinks and meals not mentioned in the itinerary
• Optional additional tours or activities
• Tips & items of personal nature

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE

Arrival: The tour starts in CHIUSI DELLA VERNA, linked to Bibbiena. You can reach Bibbiena by train to Arezzo or by bus to Florence. A taxi pick-up service can be arranged either from Florence (hotel, airport or train station), or from Pisa (airport).

Departure: The tour ends after breakfast in ASSISI. You can reach Florence by train from the railway station of Assisi.  A private transfer can be arranged from your hotel to the station or to your next destination.

Dates & Prices

Please contact us for the latest prices

Availability
& Conditions

	You can book this tour with a minimum of 1 person.
	There are a very limited number of available places on these dates. Immediate booking is recommended.
	Not available.
	Availability and prices on request.

• Prices are per person and based on the season within which the first night of the tour falls.
• Prices are based on 2 people sharing double or twin accommodation. Single rooms (double rooms – single) are available on most trips however the supplements listed apply.
• If you are travelling alone then on some trips (which include taxi transfers) a ‘Solo Traveller Supplement’ will be applied instead of the normal single supplement.
• Prices are expressed in Euro’s. There will never be a currency surcharge.
• Actual exchange rates: GB £ – US $ – CAN $ – CHF – DKK – SEK – NOK – Other currencies.

TOUR VARIATIONS

EXTRA NIGHTS

It is possible to include some extra nights in your tour, in any of the accommodations ‘en route’. For those who have never been to Assisi an extra day here is strongly recommended. The tour can also be extended with stopovers along the itinerary.

We also offer the possibility to follow the beautiful route developed and managed by a Dutch group of ‘Pilgrims’, the ‘Franciscaanse Voetreis’, perhaps more beautiful than the ‘official route’. This route passes at Greccio, Stroncone, the sanctuary of Sacro Speco and Poggio Mirteto, before rejoining ‘our’ route at the Abbey of Farfa.

UPGRADE

It is possible to book an upgrade in some of the places en route. Details and prices on request.

Details and prices on request.