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The Way of St Francis

Via di Francesco: From Florence to Assisi and Rome

Guidebook to walking the Way of St Francis, Via di Francesco. 550km pilgrimage from Florence, through Assisi to Rome through Central Italy visiting key sites from the saint's life. Described in 28 stages, the guide to the month-long route includes detailed maps, profiles and information about all the shrines, churches and towns along the way.

Seasons

Spring, summer and fall. Winters are possible, too, except for higher elevations where snow is not uncommon.

Centres

Florence, Camaldoli, Santuario della Verna, Cittá di Castello, Gubbio, Assisi, Spello, Spoleto, Cascata delle Marmore, Rieti, Rome.

Difficulty

Some steep climbs and descents, but no special gear required. All walks are graded either "Easy", "Moderate", or "Hard".

Must See

Renaissance Florence, the dark and lovely Casentino National Forest, the active hermitage of Camaldoli, St. Francis' beloved Santuario della Verna, historic Gubbio, beloved and beautiful Assisi, charming Spoleto, Marmore Falls. The walk is sprinkled with sacred sites from the life of St. Francis and culminates in the Eternal City of Rome.
ISBN
9781852846268
Availability
Published
Published
8 Sept 2015
Reprinted
21 Nov 2019
Edition
First
Pages
288
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.60cm
Weight
320g
Overview
This guidebook describes the Way of St Francis a 550km month-long pilgrimage trail from Florence through Assisi to Rome. Split into 28 day stages, the walk begins in Florence and finishes in the Vatican City. Stages range from 8km to 30km with plenty to see, including ancient ruins, picturesque towns, national treasures, and stunning churches. This comprehensive guidebook fits in a jacket pocket or rucksack, and contains information on everything from accommodation and transport in Italy, to securing your credential (pilgrim identity card), budgeting, what to take, and where to do laundry. Stories of Francis of Assisi's life are also included. Although the route includes climbs and descents of up to 1200m, no special equipment is required - although your hiking boots and socks definitely need to get along. Following the steps of heroes, conquerors and saints on this pilgrim trail is manageable all year round, but is best done from April to June and mid-August to October. Route maps are given for every stage, and basic Italian phrases are included in the guidebook.
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The Reverend Sandy Brown Cicerone author SBROWN

By The Reverend Sandy Brown

Sanford 'Sandy' Brown is a long-distance walker and ordained minister who lives in Lucca, Italy. He was born in California and his great-grandparents migrated to San Juan Capistrano from Mexico in the 19th century. Inspired by The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho, he trekked the Camino de Santiago in 2008 and since then has walked over 15,000km on pilgrim trails in Europe and the U.S. He records his pilgrim adventures in his popular blog at https://caminoist.org. In 2020, Sandy joined Cicerone Press as Associate Publisher for Caminos and Pilgrimages.

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