San Francesco's way

If you have arrived in Rome during this period the heat will haunt you, it will make your walks complicated. You will  often have to stop often to drink or eat a nice ice cream.

If you are a lover of slow tourism  we have an idea for you.

What do you think if we suggest you to reach Assisi on foot or bike?

You will follow the Saint Francis's paths.  

Ok, we all know the Saint but a brief summary can help us...

Wikipedia source

Saint Francis of Assisi (Italian: San Francesco d'Assisi), born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally named as Francesco (1181/1182 – 3 October 1226),[2] was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.

Pope Gregory IX canonized Francis on 16 July 1228. Along with Saint Catherine of Siena, he was designated Patron saint of Italy. He later became associated with patronage of animals and the natural environment, and it became customary for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of 4 October. He is often remembered as the patron saint of animals in 1219 

Premise

The Franciscans are a mendicant order. These orders born between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries 

Their primitive rules imposed them the issuance of a vow of poverty and it implied the renunciation of all property not only for individuals, but also for convents, and that they derived sustenance only from the collection of alms (questua).

The preaching of the Gospel leads Francis and his friars from one city to another, from one village to another, but also on the mountains and in the woods, looking for places to retire in prayer and penance.

As well as in Umbria and surroundings, the Saint of Assisi undertakes three major journeys, headed in partibus infi delium:

1) Dalmatian;

2) He will arrive in Spain (probably also in Santiago de Compostela);

3) Middle East, in 1219

His wanderings follow, in any case, the main land and sea routes of communication of his time, and touch the main localities.

                           

We have suggested you the south route, from Rome. There are 4 very well organized routes and a beautiful and useful website, created by Umbria region ( http://www.viadifrancesco.it).

You can download maps, GPS coordinates, facebook and twitter.

Yu can also ask the travel document that accompany the pilgrims on the way

                                              

Website english version - link