The Saint Francis' Walk 

“And the tall, black, mysterious Verna enters history from this aerial eagle's nest carved out of the rock”

This quote by Monsignor Antonio Tani (from “San Francesco nel Montefeltro”, 1926), recalls the event that is at the origin of the Way. In the town of San Leo (ancient Mons Feretri), St Francis was gifted Mount La Verna by Count Orlando Catani of Chiusi in Casentino on 8 May 1213. It is also where he received his stigmata in 1224 and where the sanctuary, one of the main sites in Franciscan history, now stands.

News: new route for the second stage 

 

WARNING

TO THE PILGRIMS ALONG THE PATH. The high temperatures these days increase fatigue and the need to hydrate. It's a good idea to leave early in the morning and evaluate the opportunity to make stops during the hottest hours. In particular, consider that in the fourth stage from Sant'Agata to Balze there are only two water supply points: the cemetery before Pereto (the only town located directly on the route) and the hermitage of Sant'Alberico (in an hour from Balze). On the last stage, after Montecoronaro (about 5 hours from La Verna), there are no inhabited centers or water supply points. It is therefore necessary to keep a good supply of water in your backpack.

tauThe route touches places linked to the saint’s time in the Marecchia Valley and the part of the Montefeltro that spans as far as the Apennines, on the border between Romagna and Tuscany. Unspoilt by mass tourism, this surprising landscape offers an exceptional mix of history, art and culture (including food and wine culture) and pilgrims passing through can enjoy it at the slow pace it deserves. Following in the footsteps of St Francis, such beauty is an invitation to enjoy all of Creation and, without stopping at the aesthetic aspect alone, to thank our Maker for everything,

Today, the charism of St Francis lives on in the men and women who dedicate their lives to him. Conscious pilgrims and wayfarers who choose the Way as a spiritual experience, will be able to seize the opportunity afforded by these meetings, setting aside time to dedicate to making unhurried stops where friars, nuns and even hermits live out their vocation.

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