1 Assisi - Foligno
18,9 KM.
Our journey begins in Assisi, a place where the sacred and the profane have always lived together.
City of St Francis, where everything seems to revolve around the figure of the Poverello. Where the spirit rises, art reaches lofty heights. The Basilica of St Francis and the other Franciscan places have earned Assisi inscription on the list of UNESCO sites.
To walk around Assisi is to immerse oneself in a painting where all the brushstrokes speak of history, art and faith:
the complex of San Francesco, the basilica of Santa Chiara, the cathedral of San Ruffino... and then the square, the fortress, the ancient walls, the artisan shops and the aromas of local cuisine that flood the streets and alleyways! There is no corner of this city that does not catch the eye and lift the mind and heart.
On the way we meet Spello. A town of ancient Roman foundation, it welcomes us with its turreted walls and six gates. Under Longobard domination, it was part of the Duchy of Spoleto until it became part of the Papal State. Beautiful are the Corpus Domini flower displays: multicoloured floral carpets with sacred scenes that attract tens of thousands of believers and tourists every year.
We leave Spello through the Roman arch of Porta Consolare and, via a short, mostly flat route, we reach Foligno. This route is also travelled by the Via di Francesco and the Via Lauretana.
2 Foligno - Colfiorito
25,3 KM
Foligno, a city of Roman origin, owes its importance to pilgrims on their way to Rome. As early as the 15th century, a printing press was set up here for the printing of prayer booklets, and the first printing of Dante's Divine Comedy saw the light here in 1472.
We are greeted with elegance by the cathedral of San Feliciano, the Trinci Palace, the Oratory of the Nunziatella with its fresco by Perugino, and the monastery of Sant'Anna, where we can also stay, perhaps leafing through the famous almanac of Blackbeard, a clergyman and scholar who was born here.
Continuing on our way, the path partly follows the course of the Menotre river and, passing through Pale and, with a small diversions to the small hermitage of Santa Maria Giacobbe, reaches the Colfiorito plateau.
3 Colfiorito - lago di Polverina
27,1 KM.
Leaving the plateau, we encounter Plestia with its magnificent church of Santa Maria marking the border between Umbria and Marche.
This area, which has always been inhabited, is a treasure trove of surprises: from Roman and 15th-century conduits to reclaim the plateau to the numerous finds preserved in the archaeological museum.
Passing through Serravalle di Chienti, it is worth visiting the Palaeontological Museum where fossil remains of mammoth, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, African elephant and sabre-toothed tiger can be seen.
Passing Muccia, the route takes us to the convent of Santa Maria in Pietrabovigliana, and then to Polverina.
4 Lago di Polverina - Montalto di Cessapalombo
18,7 KM.
The next stage takes us through an enchanted territory, with small villages, medieval castles and parish churches bearing witness to the medieval art of the Marche.
The Church of San Giusto is just such a monument: among the most important of the Romanesque architecture in the Marche region, it was probably built between the 11th and 12th centuries. The peculiar structure of the church, with a circular plan, has led to the hypothesis that expert craftsmen from the East were involved in its construction.
We then encounter the castle of Fiungo and the hermitage of San Benedetto in Saxo Latronis, the rock church of the Madonna del Sasso and the castle of Pievefavera, the castel of Croce up to the castle of Montalto di Cesseapalombo.
5 Montalto di Cessapalombo - Sarnano
17,8 KM.
This part of the path, however, we could call the way of the Carbonari and the Franciscans.
The ancient trade of the charcoal burner has left numerous testimonies in these areas, just as there are numerous testimonies linked to the Poverello of Assisi and his followers, such as the Grotta dei Frati, the monastery church of San Liberato and the hermitage at Soffiano.
An ancient path, as ancient is the bond that binds Saint Francis to these villages and places.
A journey to be undertaken on tiptoe to savour the silence and peace.
6 Sarnano - Comunanza
22,3 KM.
The imprint of the Poverello of Assisi is also very strong in Sarnano. The church of San Francesco and its library have always been the central point of the village. The road leading from here to Amandola follows a stretch of the ancient Roman road Salaria Gallica and then continues across the river Tenna with a perfectly preserved Romanesque bridge.
Passing through the Madonna delle Grazie spirituality nest, an oasis of hermitage, silence and prayer, we then reach Comunanza.
7 Comunanza - Venarotta
21,2 KM.
Comunanza, named the 'town of longevity' due to its high number of centenarians, was also among the first municipalities of the Franciscan Way of the Marches to open a municipal hostel for pilgrims in a historic residence in the centre. From here, the route passes through the Monti Sibillini National Park, touches the small village of Palmiano and arrives at the convent church of San Francesco in Castello di Venarotta. Probably founded in 1220 by St Francis himself, it stands on the top of a hill not far from the town of Venarotta. The route passes through woods rich in truffles that give a unique flavour to the local cuisine.
8 Venarotta - Ascoli Piceno
15,2 KM.
We take to the road again and in the distance we can see the distinctive stepped profile of Monte Ascensione and its gullies. Passing through the sanctuary of Gimigliano we then enter Ascoli Piceno through the Porta Cappuccina.
Our journey has come to an end. There is so much to see in Ascoli: the ancient wash house, the small temple of Sant'Emidio, the Palazzo dei Capitani and the church of San Francesco...
And there is much to enjoy to refresh the body and appreciate the culinary culture of the Marche region and its typical dishes, first and foremost, the tasty Ascoli olives.
