Assisi travel itineraries

Franciscan Path

The itinerary goes through the road of 46km that Saint Francesco followed for the first time in 1206 after Christ, going from Assisi to Gubbio and that after the Saint will follow for large parts each time he desires to reach the Sanctuary of the Verna.

From Assisi to Pieve San Nicolò
Leaving from the actual Door of San Giacomo of Assisi, we go towards Pieve San Nicolò and then we continue in direction of Valfabbrica, up to the locality called "Il Pioppo". The construction of the small parochial church of Pieve San Nicolò, an architectonic structure very simple with a unique bay and a belfry, it dates back to the beginning of the 17th century. The ruins of some ring walls, makes us think to a typical organization of the fortifications with a central installation, with the visual tower located in the middle of the edifice; nowadays unfortunately there is no trace left of the three doors or of the tower.
From Pieve San Nicolò to Valfabbrica
At the doors of the fortified village of Valfabbrica, the locality called "Il Pioppo" was marking the frontier between the woods and the cultivated land. The legends say that, during the travel, San Francesco found shelter in the nearby Benedictine monastery, maybe the one of Valfabbrica. Today the main front of the antique abbey has only kept the central rosette and three one hole windows on the side, while the original apse structure has been completely lost.
From Valfabbrica to Coccorano
From Valfabbrica we continue in the direction of Gubbio, passing by Chiascio and going up the road under Coccorano. Some biographers say that in this stretch the friar was victim of an aggression from a group of bandits and after that he asked asylum to the inhabitants of the place. We suppose, without being sure of it, that the friar found asylum in the nearby castle of Coccorano, owned by the Bigazzini family from Gubbio and friend of the saint from the times of his land richness. This fortress of the 11th century, together with the fortifications of Biscina and Giomici, dressed up as a protection for a large stretch of the Chiascio valley. If, on one side, is still visible the big square tower located on the left of the entrance arch, on the other side, from the church that originally was included in the boundary wall, traces are left only in the building rebuilt near the castle.
From Coccorano to Biscina
We continue in the direction of Vallingegno, going beyond the castle of Biscina, once a time frontier between the communes of Gubbio and Valfabbrica and fundamental point for the strategic – military control, thanks to its geographic position. Biscina, already at the time of San Francesco, was submitted to numerous dominations, which led, in the fortified structures, to continuous interventions and restorations. The general prospect of the castle results quite irregular, properly because of the posterior additions that often have not respected the pre-existing alignments. The north side of the structure is made of two towers that protect the court entrance, the first one is on the right side and is the bigger one, still intact and crowned by guelph crenels, while the second one, on the left, has not a lot left.
From Biscina to Vallingegno
Along the road we can admire monuments that are turning points for the Franciscan history, such as the Church of Caprignone, the Abbey of Vallingegno and the Hermitage of San Pietro in Vigneto, all built on pre-existing pagan.
From Vallingegno to Fassia
Almost at the end of the travel, we can reach these places, where are established two hospitals: Santa Maria of Fonte Salice of Montebaroncello and Santa Maria Maddalena of Fassia. Places of dolour where one was looking for assistance and cure above all for the leprosy.
From Fassia to Gubbio
We now see Gubbio, there was the leprosy centre of San Lazzaro; around 1240 after Christ were built the church and the convent of San Francesco, even if at the beginning the Franciscans had established themselves in the small Church of Santa Maria of the Victory - or Vittorina.

From Assisi to Perugia – The Charm of Sublime

Assisi is the shrine of Umbria’s artand spirituality: birthplace ofSaint Francis and Saint Clare, itsterritory is still landmarked by their livingmemories. In our journey, we will alsoexperience the ancient Umbrian traditionsof gastronomy and handicraft.

The Basilicas of Saint Claire and Saint Francis. Our trip starts from the Basilica di SantaChiara. In one of the chapels, there is thecross originally put in the church of SanDamiano, which, according to the tradition,spoke to Saint Francis in 1205, invitinghim to “repair God’s home”. The majestic Basilica di San Francesco,started in 1228, two years after the Saint’sdeath, the day after Pope Gregory IXproclaimed him Saint, is actually madeup of two basilicas, one upon the other.The lower and most ancient one (BasilicaInferiore) is not simply a vault, but rathera superb resting place for Saint Francis’sbody. The Upper Basilica is famous for itsfrescoes, with stories from the Old andNew Testament, by Cimabue, and fromthe life of Saint Francis, by Giotto. The frescoes draw a parallel betweenChrist’s and Saint Francis’s lives. Cimabueexecuted the paintings of the transept andthe apse. His works are one of the firstattempts to free figurative art from therigidity of Byzantine art, later fulfilled byhis pupil Giotto.Giotto was able to bring the divine nearerto the human, inserting the figures into arealistic space, where the characters movelike Middle Ages men did into their cities:Francis is represented above all as a man,not only as a saint.+

Franciscan Places outside the walls. The Eremo delle Carceri can be reached both on foot (the trip is about 3 miles long)and by car, in about 20 minutes (via delleFonti del Moiano, Largo Properzio, viaUmberto I, via Santuario delle Carceri). Itwas originally a natural cave, where SaintFrancis dwelled between 1205 and 1206.Today, it is enclosed in a monastery, builtby Saint Bernardino of Siena in 1400, andcompletely surrounded by the woods ofMount Subasio. In 15 minutes, we reach the church of San Damiano (towards via Santuariodelle Carceri, viale Giovanni XXIII, viaUmberto I, via Valentin Muller, localitàSan Rufino Campagna), where Francisfirst heard God’s voice and, accordingto the tradition, wrote his Cantico delleCreature.Few more than a mile from San Damiano,the “Sacro Tugurio” (“Holy Shack”)in Rivotorto (località San RufinoCampagna, via Frate Fuoco, via SorellaLuna, via Francesca, via della Regola) wasFrancis’s first shelter, and is now containedinto a XIX century’s sanctuary.Our last stop is the Basilica of SantaMaria degli Angeli (via Francesca, vialePatrono d’Italia, via Los Angeles), builtin XVI and XVII century to preserve thePorziuncola, the Church which Francisrestored and which became his favouriteplace for prayer and retirement. Here hepassed on in 1226. +

Montelabate, Torgiano and Deruta. The Abbey of Montelabate, also knownas Santa Maria di Valdiponte (viaGiuseppe Emili, SS75, Bastia Umbra,Collestrada, SS33bis verso Ravenna/Ancona, Lidarno, Ponte Felcino, Bosco,Ponte Pattoli, Casa del Diavolo, stradadel Piccione, strada Montelabate), waserected in the IX or X century, in a severeRomanesque-Gothic style. It is one of themost important sacred building in Umbria. The journey from Montelabate to Torgianolasts about 30 minutes (strada del Piccione SP 246, Casa del Diavolo, stradaTiberina Nord, Bosco, SS 3 bis, Collestrada,il Sardo, SP 403 Torgiano – San Martinoin Campo). This small but lovely town isbuilt upon a hill, extraordinary rich inolive groves and vineyards. Wine and oliveoil are still its main produces and its mostjealously guarded heritages. Deruta, 6miles from Torgiano (SP403 verso viaMario Angeloni, E45 verso Casaccia,Pontenuovo, Deruta), hosts more than 200factories and workshops, specialized inthe production of majolica. The traditiondates back to the Middle Ages and is documentedin a museum (Museo Regionaledella Ceramica) and a library. A 12 miles’trip towards North (E45 towards PonteNuovo) brings us to Perugia.+

From Assisi to Cannara

Leaving Assisi, descend in direction of the plain and after having passed through the quarter of Santa Maria degli Angeli you'll arrive at Bastia Umbra.
Following the course of the Chiascio river passing through the towns of S. Lorenzo and Costano, in ascent you'll reach the town of Bettona; from there, pass through the quarter of Passaggio and after a short time you'll arrive at Cannara.

From Gubbio to Assisi - The mystical charms of mountain hermitages

From Gubbio to Assisi, through the National Park of Monte Cucco, Colfiorio plateau and the Park of Mount Subasio. Majestic landscapes, ancient abbeys, hermitages, lost in the silence of inaccessible places. Here, we come across two art cities, Gubbio and Spello, and finally rest in Assisi.

Elegance and Mysticism. Gubbio looks like a huge Nativity scene, with its city walls clutched to the rock of Mount Ingino, where the Middle Ages meet the elegance of Reinassance and Baroque. The maze of Gubbio’s alleys resembles a travel backwards in history: Palazzo del Capitolo dei Canonici, Palazzo del Bargello, the Cathedral, Palazzo Ducale, up to the lovely Piazza Grande, which offers one of the widest and most charming landscapes in the whole Umbria. Here, Palazzo Pretorio faces the imposing Palazzo dei Consoli (inside the latter palace, the City Museum houses the Iguvine Tables, one of the most important testimonies of the ancient Umbrian language). Via Sant’Ubaldo allows to reach the woods of Mount Ingino, up to the Basilica of Saint Ubaldo, 827 meters above sea level. The Basilica hosts the “ceri” (literally: tapers), three wooden artifacts which are taken down to town on the first Sunday of May, and then back to the Basilica on the 15th of May, after a pictoresque feast dedicated to Saint Ubaldo.+

The ermitages of Monte Cucco. Heading North from Gubbio, we cross the Appennini towards Scheggia and Pascelupo (SS 298 towards via Giove Pennino, frazione Villamagna, frazione Sant’Angelo dopo Serra, località Fornace). Gola del Bottaccione is a deep ravine between Mount Ingino and Mount Foce, interesting both for its Medieval weir and for its rocks so rich in iridium to have generated the hypothesis of a huge meteorite’s impact, taking place some 65 millions years ago. Nearby, a Medieval aqueduct and the Hermitage of San Ambrosio, on Monte Calvo. Following SS289, we enter the Regional Park of Monte Cucco, including ancient hermitages like San Girolamo, Ss. Emiliano e Bartolomeo in Congiuntoli, Santa Maria di Sitria and the benedictine abbey of Sant’Andrea. All of them deserve a visit, to admire their mystical fascination, their Romanesque architecture, and the surrounding natural landscapes.+

The regional Park of Colfiorito. Our trip continues towards South (SS3 towards Fossato di Vico, Gualdo Tadino, Nocera Umbra), leading us to the Regional Park of Colfiorito: a 850 acres plateau, 250 of which taken up by a marshland, abounding in wildlife. Colfiorito is also famous for its typical produces (lentils, red potatoes, chick peas, grass peas, spelt), often sold by local farmers, directly along the roads. About 15 miles from Colfiorito (SS77 towards località Casette di Cupigliolo, then towards frazione Pisenti, Collelungo, Capodaqua, Pieve Fanonica, Valtopina), Collepino is a tiny village, belonging to the Park of Mount Subasio and perfectly preserved with its scenic “piazzetta”.+

Spello: art, religion and gastronomy. Now we go down for 4 miles towards Spello (via Subasio), which stands on the top of a hill, at the feet of Mount Subasio. In the well-preserved Medieval walls, four gates and a Roman arch are still the only accesses to the center. The main monument is the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, with the extraordinary Cappella Baglioni, frescoed by Pinturicchio. The most typical event in Spello is the “infiorata”, taking place during the feast of Corpus Christi, when streets are embellished by pictures, entirely composed by flowers laid upon the pavement. Another occasion for visiting Spello is the festival dedicated to its most renown produce, olive oil: “L’Oro di Spello” (at the beginning of December). After visiting the Museo Emilio Greco (c/o Palazzo Comunale | piazza della Repubblica), we end our trip in Porta dell’Arce, with its panoramic terrace, open towards the Umbrian countryside at sunset. The nearby Villa Fidelia is a fine XIX century building with a wide park, now hosting concerts and art exhibitions. Assis can be reached through SS75.+