Programme 9 days

Day 1  Arrival Assisi B&B

Day 2 Circular route Assisi B&B

Day 3 To Vescia passing Spello HB

Day 4 To Nocera Umbra HB

Day 5 To Costa di Trex HB

Day 6 To Valfabbrica HB

Day 7 To Vallingegno HB

Day 8 to Gubbio B&B

Day 9 departure

Programme 9 days

Day 1

Arrival  at Assisi. 

Your overnight stay will be in a hotel with a swimming pool close (900 m.) to the historical centre of Assisi.

Day 2 

This walk will take you among the best-known Franciscan monuments in and around Assisi, such as the hermitage 'Eremo delle Carceri', the Basilica of St. Francis, the basilica of St. Clair and the monastery of S.Damiano

walking time: 6 hours (18 km)

Day 3 

Today's walk will take you first to the medieval Spello and then to Vescia. The route follows the slopes of Mount Subasio. Your overnight stay will be in an 'Frantoio' (olive oil mill) of the 16th century.

walking time: 5 1/2 hours (18 km)

Day 4 

This walk through the valley of the river Topino will take you among villages like Capodacqua and past the ruins of castles and towers to Nocera Umbra. In the summer of 1226 St. Francis became very ill on one of his travels and had to be brought back to Assisi urgently. On his way back he and his fellow travellers stayed for the night in the Franciscan monastery of Nocera. Your overnight stay will be in a hotel in the town centre.

walking time: 5 hours 50 min (18 km)

Day 5 

Today's route follows the Franciscan walking path 'Sentiero Francescano', which reminds us of the last journey of St.Francis (September 1226). Nowadays this last journey is still remembered with the 'cavalcata di Satriano' , when horsemen from all over Umbria, dressed in medieval clothes, ride the same trail as the horsemen of 1226. This route crosses the National Park of Monte Subasio. Your overnight stay will be on a holiday farm near Assisi (5 km).

walking time: 6 hours (19 km)

Day 6 

The Franciscan walking trail continues to Assisi. You will leave the town through the porta S.Giacomo gates. You will walk then along the Franciscan route 'Sentiero della pace', which connects Assisi with Gubbio and reminds us of the journeys of St.Francis between these two towns.

walking time: 5 hours (15 km)

Day 7  

The second stage of the 'Sentiero della Pace' leads to the abbey of Vallingegno. This section passes through the hills along the valley Chiascio. It will take you past the Benedictine church of Barcaccia, the ruins of the castle and the monastery of Coccorano, the castle of Biscina, the church of Caprignone and the hermitage of S.Pietro in Vigneto. You will stay the night on a holiday farm near the abbey of Vallingegno. According to the tradition St.Francis took refuge in this abbey after he renounced his worldly wealth.

walking time: 7 1/2 hours (22 km)

Day 8

The last stage of the 'Sentiero della pace' and of this walking tour takes you to Gubbio, a town built on the slopes of Monte Ingino. Also Gubbio is closely linked with the life of St.Francis, who came here as a beggar. In this town he found shelter thanks to his friend the textile merchant Spadalunga, who not only gave him a place to sleep but clothes to dress himself. This simple straight dress became the prototype of the Franciscan tunic. The church and monastery of St.Francis is built on the site of Spadalunga's house. You will stay in a hotel near the church of St.Francis.

walking time 4 hours (13 km)

Day 9

Departure

Gubbio has a bus link with Perugia: a journey of a little more than an hour. From Perugia you can take the train to Assisi or one of the airports for your flight home.

Programme 12 days:

Day 1  Arrival Assisi B&B

Day 2 Circular route Assisi B&B

Day 3 with the train to Spoleto and a ring walk on Monteluco 

         (B&B)

Day 4 To Campello (HB)

Day 5 To Manciano (HB)

Day 6 To Vescia (HB)

Day 7 To Nocera Umbra (HB)

Day 8 To Costa di Trex (HB)

Day 9 To Valfabbrica (HB)

Day 10 To Vallingegno (HB)

Day 11 to Gubbio (B&B)

Day 12 departure

A circular walk from Spoleto (3½ hours - ca.10 km)

Today you will leave Assisi and go by train to Spoleto. Your hotel is situated in the old town centre, close to the Roman theatre. From the hotel you will do a ring walk on Monteluco. 'Lucu' means sacred woods and indeed early Christian hermits, of the Benedictine Order, were already living here in the 5th century. Later the Franciscans also built a monastery on Monteluco. You can still visit the oratory dating back to the time of St.Francis.  

Spoleto-Campello sul Clitunno (6 hours - ca.18 km)

Today's walk follows the route of the 'Sentiero degli Olivi' (Olive Path), which runs between Spoleto and Assisi. You leave Spoleto by following the old abandoned railway and will pass through tunnels and over railway bridges from which you will have marvellous views over the valley. The Olive Path passes small villages and hamlets, mostly built on hilltops, like Eggi and Bazzano. In Poreta you will leave the route to go to your hotel, with swimming pool, in Campello sul Clitunno. 

Campello sul Clitunno-Manciano (5 hours - ca. 14 km)

The route 'Sentiero degli Olivi'  passes the village of Bovara, home to the Romanesque church and monastery of S.Pietro. It was here that St.Francis had his vision of the Seats in Heaven. Walking through olive groves you will enter the medieval town of Trevi, the Capital of Olive Oil. In Trevi you will find the church of St Francis, built by the inhabitants after St.Francis preached in their town. After visiting Trevi it is another 1½ hours of walking to your holiday farm, which has an olive mill (frantoio) and a swimming pool.

From Manciano to Vescia (6 hours - 19 km)

This beautiful route passing through olive groves and woods will take you to the 11th century Benedictine abbey of Sassovivo. During the time St.Francis this mighty abbey owned many properties, including some in the town of Assisi. The beautiful cloister, dating from the 13th century, can be visited. In the village of Pale you can leave for a moment the route to visit the hermitage of S.Maria di Giacobbe. Walking alongside the Menotre river, with its little waterfalls, you descend towards Vescia, where you will find your  B&B, a 17th century olive mill.

Period self-guided tours

Daily from the 1st April  until the beginning of November 

Level 3

For walkers with some experience. Routes middle/high landscapes with some steep climbs. Day distances between 15-25 km with an average of 3 km an hour. Walking over footpaths, mountain tracks, forest trails and little road walking.