Tuesday 26 August 2014

Tuesday 19 August 2014

First thoughts

I will be (please God) in Rome in 5 weeks. After a couple of days in Rome, I plan to walk from Assisi back to Rome. This is part of the Via Francesco, from Florence to Rome.
I don't want to plan too much, but these are some things I have learnt about this route:

The way starts from the Santa Croce church in Florence. The first 8 days go through the Casentino nature park. 
When you leave the park, you arrive at La Verna, where St Francis received the stigmata. 
Straight after this, you arrive at the Montecasale convent, where St Francis met 3 robbers.
The path then follows the Apenine mountain range, then arrives at the Medieval town of Gubbio, where St Francis is said to have befriended a wolf.
From there you walk along a 48 km path that has been constructed from Gubbio to Assisi.
Three kilometres south of Assisi is Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Basilica.
From Assisi, the path goes over Monte Subasio and passes the famous convent Eremo delle Carceri and the nearby town of Spello, with its restored frescoes.
From here we go back to nature and the towns of  Spoleto and Bevagna.
Next the town of Montefalco lies in the hills, with more frescoes.
Then we reach Spoleto and then follows some days over the mountains.
Then follows the villages of Ferentillo and Poggio Bustone.
Then we reach Rieti, which is the geographical centre of Italy.
The next town is Stroncone. 

Soon after this, the path leaves Umbria and enters Lazio (Latium) and its olive trees. This is not a tourist area (yet) and backpackers are not provided for and there are not many hotels.
We pass Vescovio and the famous abbey Farfa.
The path ends in Rome at St John in Lateran. It was in this basilica that Francis received permission to set up his new order in 1223.

Saturday 9 August 2014