The Trails of St. Francis 2015
In the heart of beautiful green Umbria lies the medieval town of Assisi, where St. Francis was born. The walks of this tour will take you through exciting colourful landscapes with unique views. You will pass many monuments and sites which preserve the memory of St Francis and his companions.
This tour largely follows the two well-known Franciscan walking trails: the ‘Sentiero
Franciscano’, which connects Nocera with Assisi, and the ‘Sentiero della Pace’ between Assisi and Gubbio.
The route has a 8 and 10 days version
Terrain, level of difficulty *** for walkers with experience and good physical condition. Routes through middle/high level hilly landscapes with some steep climbs. Daily distances between 15 and 25 km. An average of 3 km – 4 km an hour. You will walk on footpaths, mountain tracks, forest trails and occasionally on roads.
Departures: from 1st April till the beginning of November on every day of the week (In winter on
request)
programme
Programme 8 days: Day 1 arrival Assisi B&B
Day 2 to Vescia passing Spello HB Day 3 to Nocera Umbria HB Day 4 to Costa di Trex HB Day 5 to Valfabbrica HB Day 6 to Biscina HB Day 7 to Gubbio B&B Day 8 departure
Programme 10 days Day 1 arrival Assisi B&B Day 2 circular route Assisi B&B Day 3 Spello - Vescia HB
Day 4 Ring walk to the abbey of Sassovivo Day 5 to Nocera Umbria HB
Day 6 to Costa di Trex HB Day 7 to Valfabbrica HB Day 8 to Biscina HB Day 9 to Gubbio B&B Day 10 departure
Day 1
You arrive at your hotel in Assisi. The hotel is situated 900m. from the historical centre of Assisi. Day 2 Assisi – Spello - Vescia
Today’ s walk will take you first to Spello and then to Vescia. The route follows the slopes of Mount Subasio. This beautiful walk passes along olive groves with astounding views.
Spello is built on the slopes of Mount Subasio. This little town has Roman origins, as we are reminded by several features including the porta Venere and porta Consolare town gates and the remains of a Roman theatre outside the town walls. Don’t forget to admire the colourful fresco’s by Pinturicchio in the church S.Maria Maggiore. After your visit of Spello it is atill 2 h 15 walking to your hotel in Vescia. Walking time: 5 ½ hours (about 18 km / 11,2 miles)
390 470 450 465 450 300 276 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 Hotel Porta Cappuccini Fte.Panzo di sotto
Fte Abate Gabbiano Spello Vescia
level differences in m eters
Day 3 Vescia- Nocera Umbra
This walk through the valley of the river Topino will take you among villages like Capodacqua and past the ruins of castles and towers to Nocera Umbra. In the summer of 1226 St. Francis became very ill on one of his travels and had to be brought back to Assisi urgently. On his way back he and his fellow travellers stayed for the night in the Franciscan monastery of Nocera. This monastery was just outside the town gate, where the ‘Giardino delle Acque’ is now to be found. The second Franciscan monastery has been preserved and is now a small museum. Your overnight stay will be in a hotel in the town centre. Walking time: 6 hours (21 km / 13 miles)
275 420 515 400 458 562 614 530 525 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 Hote l Liè Ravi gnan o Capo dacq ua Galla no Sass o Pogg io Giov e Hote l level differences
Day 4 Nocera Umbra – Costa di Trex
Today’s route follows the Franciscan walking path ‘Sentiero Franciscano’, which reminds us of the last journey of St. Francis (September 1226). During this journey Francis became very ill and had to be brought back to Assisi, accompanied by a group of horsemen. Nowadays this last journey is still remembered with the ‘Cavalcata di Satriano’, when horsemen from all over Umbria, dressed in medieval clothes, ride the same trail as the horsemen of 1226. This route crosses the National Park of Monte Subasio and passes the remains of the castle Rocca di Postignano, the little chapel of Satriano, where St. Francis had an overnight stay on his last journey, and the restored medieval bridge Ponte Marchetto, which crosses a mini-canyon. Your overnight stay will be on a holiday farm near Assisi (5 km). Walking time: 5h 35 ( 18 km / 11,2 miles)
525 395 505 710 798 420 571 525 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 H o te l N o c e ra S c a lo V ill a d i P o s ti g n a n o R o c c a d i P o s ti g n a n o S a tr ia n o P o n te M a rc h e tt o C o s ta d i T re x H o te l level differences
Day 5 Costa di Trex- Valfabbrica
The Franciscan walkingtrail, route 51, continues to Assisi. You enter the town through the Porta Cappuccini town gates and you will leave it through the Porta S.Francesco gates. You will walk then along the Franciscan route ‘Sentiero della Pace’, which connects Assisi with Gubbio and reminds us of the journeys of St. Francis between these two towns. This beautiful route, with splendid views of Assisi and marvellous panoramas of the surrounding valleys and mountains, takes you past the village of Pieve S.Niccolo and ends in the town of Valfabbrica.
Walking time: 5h 30 (20 km / 12,4 miles)
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Hotel F.te del Brecciare
Porta Cappuccini
P.ta S.Giacomo
P.te S.Croce kruispunt P.ve S.Nicolò
Hotel
level differences
Day 6 Valfabbrica – Biscina
Today’s walk will bring you to the remains of the castle of Biscina. This section passes through the hills along the valley of the river Chiascio. It will take you past the Benedictine church of
Barcaccia, the ruins of the castle and the monastery of Coccorano You will stay the night at an holiday farm at 100 m. from thecastle. Walking time: 4h 30 (16 km / 9,9 miles)
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Hotel Coccorano 6,5 km 8,9 km 11 km Biscina
differences in altitude
Day 7 Biscina - Gubbio
The last stage of the ‘Sentiero della Pace’ and of this walking tour takes you to Gubbio, a town built on the slopes of Monte Ingino. You will pass the church of Caprignone and the hermitage of S.Pietro in Vigneto. You descend in the valley of Gubbio. This town is closely linked with the life of St. Francis, who came here as a beggar. In this town he found shelter thanks to his friend the textile merchant Spadalunga, who not only gave him a place to sleep but clothes to dress himself. This simple straight dress became the prototype of the Franciscan tunic. The church and monastery of St. Francis is built on the site of Spadalunga’s house. You will stay in a hotel near the church of St. Francis.
Walking time: 6h 10 (21 km / 13 miles)
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Biscina 2 km 3,5 km 4 km 7,5 10 km mengara Ponte vetturino
hotel
diffences in altitude
Day 8 departure
Gubbio has a bus link with Perugia - a journey of a little more than an hour- or the station of Fossato di Vico (travellers for Rome). From these stations you can reach the most important airports. For who will return to Assisi: go by bus to Perugia and take the train to Assisi or there is the possibility to book a transfer for 45,00 Euro (1-4 pers)
The 10 days tour:
The 8 days tour can be extended with two extra nights in:
Assisi: A circular walk through Assisi and in its surroundings
This walk will take you among the best-known Franciscan monuments in and around Assisi. It starts at the Porta Cappuccini town gate. From here you walk up through the woods of Mount Subasio to the hermitage ‘Eremo delle Carceri’ (830m a.s.l.), where St. Francis and his companions retreated to meditate and pray in the silence of the woods. A steep descent brings you back to Assisi where the town walk will take you round the Basilica of St. Francis, where he is buried, the Basilica of St.Clare, housing the cross which spoke to St. Francis, his birthplace and the monastery of San Damiano After your visit of this monastery you can choose to go back to your hotel or to continue your walk downhill to the village of S.Maria degli Angel (210m a.s.l.) to visit the impressive basilica. From here the local bus will take you back to Assisi. Walking time:: 5 hours (15 km / 9,3 miles) 390 470 830 810 470 366 310 200 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 Hotel Porta Cappuccini Erem o delle carceri Fonte M addalena Porta Cappucini
S.Francesco S.Dam iano S.M aria
degli Angeli level differences
Vescia:
This walk will lead you to highlights such as the waterfalls of the Altolina river and the Benedictine abbey of Sassovivo (11th cent.). After the village of Belfiore the trail leads you into the mountains.
Passing the waterfalls of the Altolina you will reach the hamlet of Pale. Another climb will bring you to the abbey of Sassovivo, situated in an old home oak woodland. The finest architectural feature of the entire abbey is certainly the cloister with the double order columns, surmounted by lily-shaped capitols From here you turn back to your B&B in Vescia.
Walking time: 4 hours (12 km / 7,5 miles)
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Hotel altolina Pale Prato Lungo Sassovivo Uppello Foligno Colle S.Lorenzo hotel differences in altitude
The hotels:
hotels, B&B and farmhouses. Upgrades possible in Assisi and Gubbio
Prices 20158 days / 7 nights price p.p. price
Sharing double room 655,00
Single room 785,00
Travelling alone 835,00
9 days / 8 nights price p.p. price
Sharing double room 775,00
Single room 930,00
Travelling alone 985,00
The price includes:
7 or 9 overnight stays with breakfast
5 or 6 dinners
luggage transportation
route instructions (in English, Italian or Dutch) and maps
emergency support hotline
route briefing on arrival day
free tracks for gps: on request will be send by email 2 weeks before arrival date
tourist information
An overnight stay in La Terrazza*** (Assisi) instead of Hotel Da Angelo ** has an additional charge p.p.p.n.
Double room B&B € 13,00 Double room HB € 19,00 Single room B&B € 22,00 Single room HB € 28,00
