sloWays srl - Email: info@sloways.eu - Telephone +39 055 2340736 - WWW.SLOWAYS.EU
During the obscure times of the Middle Ages an enlightened man, Saint Francis of Assisi, walked along the ridges and valleys of the Apennines, looking for God’s signs in nature and talking to people about peace, humility and brotherhood. His mystical figure fascinates many still today as his charisma and philosophy are respected all over the world.
On this trip you will follow the paths Saint Francis covered during his frequent pilgrimages between the area of La Verna (where he received “the stigmata”), and that of Città di Castello. Discover the traces of his passage, such as Franciscan hermitages, chapels, crosses as you walk through the typical landscape of Tuscany and Umbria; shady forests, orchards, olive groves and fields of wheat and barley.
Apart from amazing natural and religious places, along the “Franciscan path” you will visit towns and villages of great history and culture and you will have many occasions to taste the many traditional recipes from the local traditional cuisine.
| Day 1 | Arrival in Chiusi della Verna | |
Head for the hotel and check in: if you arrive early enough, you can visit the Franciscan Sanctuary in the afternoon. The Sanctuary is opened every day of the year from 06:30 to 19:30 hrs (22:00 hrs in summer) To enter the Sanctuary, you need to cover your chest and arms and wear trousers / skirts long to the knee For more information check on //www.laverna.it/en/ |
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| Day 2 | From Chiusi della Verna to Caprese Michelangelo, 13 km | |
Walk along the edge of the Catenaia “Alps” between the Arno and Tiber valleys. During the day, enjoy the many panoramic points overlooking the Casentino and Valtiberina valley. Distance: 13 km Elevation gain: +456/-820 m |
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| Day 3 | From Caprese Michelangelo to Anghiari, 20 km | |
Walk on paths and dirt roads along the Valtiberina valley enjoying breath-taking views. Walk through the countryside surrounding Anghiari and cross castle topped hills, ancient parish churches and medieval villages and hamlets. The landscape is beautiful and the vast views are amazing; looking west it’s easy to recognise the imposing of Alpe di Poti mountain chain, in the north the Alpe di Catenaia, towards south the flat plain of the Tiber river and east the Alpe della Luna. Once you arrive in Anghiari visit this amazing medieval hamlet and have a drink in “Giardini del Vicario” at Piazza del Popolo. It’s a lovely cafè-wine bar with a wonderful view over the valley. Distance: 20 km Elevation gain: +672/-907 m |
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| Day 4 | Transfer to Sansepolcro, from Sansepolcro to Citerna, 16 km | |
A short morning transfer will take you to Sansepolcro. Today’s walk is a long promenade in the valley, following the course of the Tiber River. The itinerary links the two most important towns of Valtiberina; leaving the centre of Sansepolcro you can immerse yourself in this rich countryside and spend many hours among corn, wheat and tobacco fields, pastures and country houses. Distance: 16 km Elevation gain: +322/-170 m |
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| Day 5 | From Citerna to Città di Castello, 20 or 16 km | |
Following the river Tiber, the itinerary crosses one of most cultivated valleys in Italy (Valtiberina). The most important and famous product is tobacco used for the production of Tuscan cigars. Today’s walk is completely flat and runs along country roads or paths parallel to the river; fields and pastures alternate with preserved bank vegetation with by poplars and willows. In this area it is easy to see many birds of prey or water birds as Kestrel, Montagu’s Harrier, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Night-Heron and Moorhen. Distance: 20 or 16 km Elevation gain: +705/-903 m |
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| Day 6 | Arrivederci Città di Castello! | |
Our services end after breakfast, unless you have booked another service with us. Arrivederci! and have a safe trip back home |
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The closest International Airports to Chiusi della Verna are:
Perugia Sant’Egidio Airport: www.airport.umbria.it/en
Florence Amerigo Vespucci Airport: www.aeroporto.firenze.it/en
Pisa International Airport: www.pisa-airport.com/index.php?lang=_en
Rome Fiumicino Airport: www.rome-airport.info
Rome Ciampino Airport: www.ciampino-airport.info
There are several daily trains from all 3 destinations, going to Arezzo, where you change train to Bibbiena and then take a bus to Chiusi della Verna.
From Città di Castello take a train to reach Rome, Florence or Pisa train stations, then make your way to the airport.
Thanks to our special APP, you will be able to follow the track of the whole trip on your mobile phone, with no need for internet. GPS tracks are available on request.
What is included
- 5 Nights in hotels and B&B with breakfast
- 2 dinners (Chiusi della Verna and Citerna)
- luggage transportation from hotel to hotel
- Transfer from Anghiari to Sansepolcro
- maps and detailed description of the itinerary
- Pilgrim Credential
- Telephone support 24 hours
- medical-luggage insurance
What is not included
- Transfers to the starting location and from the arriving location of the tour
- lunches and dinners
- visits and entrance fees - tips
- personal expense
- possible sojourn taxes
- everything that is not mentioned in the "What is included" section.
Optional Services
These services can be added to the ones included in the base price of the tour:
- Single room supplement
- cancellation insurance
- Transfers to reach the starting location or to leave the arriving location of the tour, which will be quoted on request.