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THE
'WAY
OF ST FRANCIS' - 'WAY OF ROME': FROM ASSISI TO SPOLETO
a 6 days pilgrimage walking holiday: self guided or group tour
Since
medieval times there have been three famous Christian pilgrimage
destinations: Jerusalem in the Holy Land, Santiago de Compostella in
Spain, and Rome. The ‘Way of St. Francis'(Roman Way) is a section of a
pilgrims' route to Rome, a European cultural path which starts in Vienna
and ends in Rome, passing many places connected with the life of St.
Francis. The route, which also carries the symbol of the keys of St.
Peter, finishes in front of St. Peter’s tomb in Rome. Every year many
pilgrims and trekkers from all over the world follow this path, passing
hermitages, sanctuaries, ancient forests, olive groves and valleys rich
in art and history. This walking route begins in Tuscany, at the La
Verna monastery, where St. Francis received the signs of the stigmata
(wounds of Christ). The route then crosses Umbria from north to south
and finishes in Rome, in the region of Lazio. In Umbria, the native area
of St. Francis, his presence is particularly strong and everything
reminds us of the much-loved saint. A highlight of this tour is of
course the lovely town of Assisi, where a section of the Via di Roma
begins at the St. Francis tomb in the Basilica di San Francesco, one of
the most celebrated sacred spots of Christianity. Assisi enjoys a
splendid position on a hillside at the foot of Monte Subasio,
overlooking the Valle Umbra and lying between the rivers Chiascio,
Topino and Tescio. St. Francis (1181/82 – 1226) was born in Assisi and
lived here for most of his life. It is certainly worth inserting an
extra day in your itinerary to visit this fascinating town. Leaving
Assisi you will walk through the wonderful countryside of Umbria, which
St. Francis so loved, and you will pass through medieval towns and
villages such as Spello, Foligno, Trevi, Spoleto and Arrone. You enter
the region of Lazio and along the approach Rome the landscape becomes
ever flatter, but not less exciting. On the last two days you will walk
through Rome passing many monuments, which are worth visiting, but the
highlight will certainly be the Basilica of St. Peter, the final
destination of this walking tour
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Programme
in short:
Day
1 arrival
at Assisi
Day
2 Assisi-Spello
(15,4 km)
Day
3 Spello-Trevi
(19,7 km)
Day
4 Trevi-Poreta
(13,3 km)
Day
5 Poreta-Spoleto
(16,1 km)
Day
6 departure or continue with the Via di San Francesco
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Programme:
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Day
1
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Individual
arrival
at Assisi
Your hotel is in Assisi, near the old town centre. If
you arrive in good time you can go for a cultural tour of
Assisi. The route passes the Basilica di San Francesco, the
house where he was born, the Basilica di Santa Chiara and the
monastery of San Damiano, where Francis wrote the famous
'Cantico delle Creature'. At the tourist information office you
can get a Pilgrim's Passport, which you can ask to be ink
stamped at the Franciscan monuments: a nice reminder of your
journey.
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Day
2
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Assisi-Spello
Leave Assisi by the Porta Cappuccini arch and you will
enter immediately into the woods of the Natural Park of Monte
Subasio. A steep climb will take you to the hermitage 'Eremo
delle Carceri' (830m), one of the places which best captures the
'sense' of the prayers of St. Francis, who used to retreat here
with his most faithful companions to pray and meditate in the
silence of the woods. From the hermitage you will descend
towards Spello, passing the abbey of San Benedetto with its
beautiful 11th century crypt. The descent continues
and the woods become less and less dense and then give way to
olive groves. The village of Spello clings to the hillside and
was once a Roman castrum. Several Roman features remain,
including three town gates, the remains of an amphitheatre and
some beautiful mosaics. The streets and alleyways are steep,
winding and often adorned with flowers. Your accommodation is in
a three star hotel in the old town centre.
Distance:15,4
km; Walking time: 5
½ hours; Difficulty:
medium; Ascent / Descent:
+ 690m -685m
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Day
3
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Spello–
Trevi
After breakfast put on your backpack, walk down through
the centre of Spello and leave the town by the arches at Porta
Consolare. A walk along the valley will take you to Foligno,
which is one of the few towns built in the valley rather than on
the hills. Cross the bridge over the river Topino and enter into
the old town centre. Here you will find an impressive cathedral
with two Romanesque façades (12th century); the 14th
century Palazzo Trinci, which hosts both an archeological museum
and an art gallery; and the Oratorio della Nunziatella (1494)
with a fresco by Perugino. The Chiesa di San Francesco holds the
remains of Beata Angela, a Franciscan mystic to whom St. Francis
appeared in 1285. Leaving Foligno you will also leave behind the
sounds of the town, because at Sant Eraclio the route enters the
olive groves once more. You will remain among olive trees from
here to Trevi. Passing small hamlets and villages with narrow
streets, a last climb will take you into Trevi, which dominates
the valley from its hilltop position. Your overnight stay is in
a residence in the old town centre.
Distance:
19,7 km; Walking time:
5 ½ hours; Difficulty:
medium; Ascent / Descent:
+ 260m -295m
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Day
4
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Trevi
- Poreta
Today's route isn't very long, but involves plenty of
uphill and downhill stretches on hills covered with olive groves
and woods. You climb to an old Franciscan hermitage which now
houses an enclosed order, then you descend through the olive
groves before walking up to Campello Alto, at 514m above sea
level. This is a fortified hill village built in 921 by Rovero
di Champeause, baron of Burgundy.
A last downhill-then-uphill stretch will bring you to
Castello di Poreta, where you will stay overnight. Your
accommodation is in an isolated position on a hill (470m a.s.l.)
and offers a wonderful panoramic view over the Spoleto valley.
Inside the impressive old defense walls are a centuries-old
olive grove, a church and part of a villa which has been
restored and is now a hotel and restaurant.
Distance:
13,3 km; Walking time:
4 ½ hours;
Difficulty: medium; Ascent
/ Descent: + 560m -475m
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Day
5
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Poreta
– Spoleto
Turn back one last time to enjoy the view of Castello
di Poreta, then go down towards the valley on a path through the
woods. Walking through olive groves you will come to Osteria
where there was once a hotel for pilgrims. A steep climb brings
you to Bazzano superiore, then passing the remains of a castle
you will come down to Bazzano inferiore. After a tiring climb in
the woods you will emerge into the olive groves above Eggi,
which is built on the top of a small hill and has a 14th
century castle. A quiet country lane brings you to Spoleto, once
a Lombard duchy. Spoleto is a proud medieval town, with a
beautiful cathedral (il Duomo) and an impressive castle which
dominates the town from above. Your *** hotel is situated in the
centre of Spoleto.
Distance:
16,1 km; Walking Time:
5 hours: Difficulty:
medium- hard; Ascent /
Descent: +550m -464m
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Day
6
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Departure
or
continue of the Via di San Francesco
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The
individual
tour package includes:
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5
nights with breakfast in ** and *** star hotels and holiday farm
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1
dinner
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meeting
with agent evening of arrival in your first hotel
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route
descriptions and maps in English (gps tracks gratis on request)
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luggage
transportation
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Back-up
service
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insurance
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tour
information in English
The
group tour includes:
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5
nights in 3 and 4 star hotels with breakfast
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5
dinners
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lunch packages
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clients
assistance
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luggage
transportation
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descriptions
in English
-
tour
information in English
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all
transfer mentioned in the programme
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insurance
-
an
English / Italian speaking tour leader
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Period
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Individual tour: daily from 1st April to the beginning of
November. (In other months only on request).
Group Tour: 27/05 and 08/10
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Level
3
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The
daily itineraries pass through moderately mountainous country
and hill terrain. On some days the amount of ascent and descent
is quite considerable. Daily walking distances are between 15
and 28 km (with an average of 3 – 4 hours walking a day). This
route requires a certain amount of experience and familiarity
with mountain terrain. A good level of fitness for walking is
necessary.
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Price
2012
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Individual tour
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per
person in a double room € 380,00
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In
a single room € 480,00
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travelling
alone € 540,00
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supplemento
Spoleto festival (24/06-08/07) € 15,00
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Group tour
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per
person in a double room € 726,00
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In
a single room € 820,00
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On
request |
extra nights, discount without luggage transportation, tracks voor gps
(free)
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