This book to the Way of St Francis describes a 550 km month-long pilgrim trail through the green heart of Italy. The route begins at Florence and goes through Assisi before its climax in Rome, exploring the mountains of Umbria, Tuscany and Lazio on the way. The route is split into 28 stages, each graded from 'easy' to 'hard'. Some stages include steep climbs and descents, but no special gear is required. Alongside a detailed route description, colour maps and accommodation information, The Way of St Francis contains a concise biography of Francis of Assissi and stories of his life that relate to each location visited. Also included is a walking tour of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome.
The Way of St Francis is a trove of information that makes a perfect companion for anyone setting out to walk the Way of St Francis. The Way of St Francis is one of the most popular pilgrim routes in Italy, and it offers a great range of sights: olive groves, vineyards, Renaissance Florence, the Casentino National Forest, hilltop towns, ancient ruins, mountains, the Marmore Falls, the Vatican City and more.
Introduction
St Francis and the Way of St Francis
Geography and climate
Getting there
Getting around
When to go
Accommodation
Eating in Italy
Budgeting and cash
Post, phones and internet
Business hours and the riposo
Laundry
Planning and training
What to take
Maps, GPS and waymarking
Using this guide
Discovering Florence
1 Florence to Santuario della Verna
Stage 1 Florence to Pontassieve
Stage 2 Pontassieve to Passo della Consuma
Stage 3 Consuma to Stia
Stage 4 Stia to Camaldoli (village)
Stage 5 Camaldoli to Badia Prataglia
Stage 6 Badia Prataglia to Santuario della Verna
2 Santuario della Verna to Assisi
Stage 7 Santuario della Verna to Pieve Santo Stefano
Stage 8 Pieve Santo Stefano 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 Biscina
Stage 14 Biscina to Valfabbrica
Stage 15 Valfabbrica to Assisi
3 Assisi to Rieti
Stage 16 Assisi to Spello (easier route)
Stage 16A Assisi to Spello (harder route)
Stage 17 Spello to Trevi
Stage 18 Trevi to Spoleto
Stage 19 Spoleto to Ceselli
Stage 20 Ceselli to Arrone
Stage 21 Arrone to Piediluco
Stage 22 Piediluco to Poggio Bustone
Stage 23 Poggio Bustone to Rieti
4 Rieti to Rome
Stage 24 Rieti to Poggio San Lorenzo
Stage 25 Poggio San Lorenzo to Ponticelli
Stage 26 Ponticelli to Monterotondo
Stage 27 Monterotondo to Monte Sacro
Stage 28 Monte Sacro to Vatican City
Tour of the Seven Pilgrimage Churches of Rome
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Useful contacts
Appendix C Language tips
Appendix D Further reading
Sanford 'Sandy' Brown is an activist, long-distance walker and ordained minister from Seattle, Washington. After reading The Pilgrimage, by Paolo Coelho, he planned his first trek on the Camino de Santiago and since then has walked over 3,500 kilometres on pilgrim trails in Spain and Italy.