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The Way of St Francis: Via di Francesco
From Florence to Assisi and Rome
ISBN
9781786311672
Availability
Published
Published
15 Jan 2025
Edition
Second
Pages
264
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.60cm
Weight
300g
Delivery & Returns
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...
Guidebook to walking The Way of St Francis pilgrimage trail in Italy. This 518km route from Florence, through Assisi and then to Rome and the Vatican City explores Tuscany and Umbria. Described in 27 stages, the guide to the month-long route includes detailed maps, profiles and accommodation and facilities on route. The trail visits major sites and towns famous for their connection to Italy's patron saint.
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 stages 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
9781786311672
Availability
Published
Published
15 Jan 2025
Edition
Second
Pages
264
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.60cm
Weight
300g
Delivery & Returns
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...
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Overview
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A guidebook to walking the Way of St Francis (Via di Francesco) between Florence and Rome. Covering 518km (322 miles), this pilgrimage route through Italy's Tuscany and Umbria takes around 1 month and is suitable for any reasonably fit walker.
The route is described from north to south in 27 stages, each between 11 and 29km (7-18 miles) in length. Alternate stages are given to allow you to visit Perugia and Farfa Abbey and 2 alternate sections are also included in outline providing a choice of routes from Florence to Santuario della Verna and between Assisi and Rieti.
- 1:100,000 mapping plus larger-scale urban maps for key locations
- GPX files available to download
- Handy stage planning tables and pilgrim lodging listings help you plan your itinerary
- Detailed information about refreshments and facilities along the route
- Advice on planning, preparation and pilgrim credentials
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Table of Contents
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Section 1 Florence to Santuario della Verna
Stage 1 Florence to Pontassieve
Stage 2 Pontassieve to Consuma
Stage 3 Consuma to Stia
Stage 4 Stia to Badia Prataglia
Stage 5 Badia Prataglia to Santuario della Verna
Section 1A Variant routes to Santuario della Verna
Variant 1.1 Florence to Santuario della Verna – southern route
Variant 1.2 Cortona and Arezzo to Santuario della Verna
Section 2 Santuario della Verna to Assisi
Stage 6 Santuario della Verna to Pieve Santo Stefano
Stage 7 Pieve Santo Stefano to Montagna
Stage 8 Montagna to Sansepolcro
Stage 9 Sansepolcro to Citerna
Stage 10 Citerna to Città di Castello
Stage 11 Città di Castello to Pietralunga
Stage 12 Pietralunga to Gubbio
Stage 13 Gubbio to Valdichiascio
Stage 14 Valdichiascio to Valfabbrica
Stage 15 Valfabbrica to Assisi
Section 2A Variant route to Assisi
Variant 2.1 Valfabbrica to Assisi via Perugia
Section 3 Assisi to Rieti
Stage 16 Assisi to Spello
Stage 17 Spello to Trevi
Stage 18 Trevi to Spoleto
Stage 19 Spoleto to Macenano
Stage 20 Macenano to Piediluco
Stage 21 Piediluco to Poggio Bustone
Stage 22 Poggio Bustone to Rieti
Section 3A Variant routes to Rieti
Variant 3.1 Arrone to Terni, Greccio, and Rieti
Section 4 Rieti to Rome
Stage 23 Rieti to Poggio San Lorenzo
Stage 24 Poggio San Lorenzo to Ponticelli Sabino
Stage 25 Ponticelli Sabino to Monterotondo
Stage 26 Monterotondo to Monte Sacro
Stage 27 Monte Sacro to Vatican City, Rome
Section 4A Variant route to Monterotondo
Variant 4.1 Poggio San Lorenzo to Monterotondo via Farfa Abbey
Appendix A Stage planning table
Appendix B Useful contacts
Appendix C Language tips
Appendix D Index of St Francis stories
Appendix E Further reading
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Updates
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We do not yet have any updates available for this book
We are always grateful to readers for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground. If you would like to send some information to us then please use our contact form. They will be published here following review by the author(s).
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By The Reverend Sandy Brown
Sanford 'Sandy' Brown is a community activist, long-distance walker and ordained minister from Seattle, Washington. Inspired by The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho, he trekked the Camino de Santiago in 2008 and since then has walked or biked over 18,000km on pilgrim trails in Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy and the United States. He leads group pilgrimage treks through his travel company, www.pilgrimpaths.com.Sandy earned his undergraduate degree in medieval history at the University of Washington in Seattle, his MDiv at Garrett Theological Seminary, which honored him in 2006 as a Distinguished Alumnus, and in 1997 earned a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary in gender, sexuality and spirituality. In 2023 the European Association of Via Francigena Ways bestowed its Honor Award on Sandy for his contributions to the development of the route. He has two grown sons and lives with his wife, Theresa Elliott, in Lucca, Italy.
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