Florence to Sansepolcro

Florence (Firenze) is the largest city and capital of the region of Tuscany. It is the birthplace of Leonardo Davinic, Galileo, and Dante. Renowned the world over as the cradle of the Renaissance, this city makes a wonderfully cultured start point to your St Francis pilgrimage to Rome. Be sure to make time to visit the domed cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Marvel at this engineering feat built by Filippo Brunelleschi, and visit one of the many museums, palaces, and churches that house the most significant artistic treasures in the world.

Today you will leave the cultured haven of Florence. During your walk, find yourself returning to a simpler way of life, surrounded by the beauty of nature. Start from Florence’s Basilica of Santa Croce, enter olive groves and vineyards in an area known for its Chianti wines. Arriving into Settignano, take the opportunity to have a quick break for a morning coffee. Continue uphill with views of the valley below, then descend into the valley. Follow the Arno to Sieci where you can enjoy a picnic on the banks of the river. Climb Sieci to enjoy sweeping vistas of the surrounding hills and vineyards. Descend through the vineyards and olive groves to finish your day of walking in Pontassieve. During World War II this town suffered substantial damage and none of its mediaeval features remain. However, it is well worth visiting the Pieve di San Giovanni a Rémole where there are the remains of two frescos by Botticelli.

Ascending out of Pontassieve you will be greeted with a spectacular view of the Sieve Valley and Castello di Nipozzano, a prosperous winery. If you fancy it, stop for a glass of local Tuscan wine. Climb through quiet forests and lush meadows towards your destination for tonight, Consuma. This small hamlet, with origins which can be traced back to the 15th Century, now services holidaymakers visiting the Casentino National Park.

Today’s undulating walk is through pine and beech trees and through small towns with sweeping views of this mountainous landscape of the Upper Arno Valley. Your destination is Stia, at the foothills of Mount Falterona. Traditionally a textile manufacturing town, today (much like Consuma) it is a hub for visitors to the Casentino National Park. In the town square, there is a fresco by Pietro Annigoni that represents Saint Francis. Try the local speciality of ‘Tortello’ a traditional dish of potatoes common to the Casentino region.

Today’s walk offers more stunning views. Entering the ancient Casentino Forest you will come upon the Eremo Camaldoli, a Benedictine Hermitage. A short walk from the hermitage is the village of Camaldoli, where you can stop for a break and visit the monastery. Wander through a meadow of ferns to a pleasant Beech Forest and then oak and pine forests before arriving into Badia Prataglia. This town was established in the early 11th Century and, due to the bountiful supply of wood, the local craft of woodwork flourishes.

Today will be challenging but with your end stop the holy mountain retreat of St Francis it is well worth the effort. Walk through forests and fern meadows, and across creeks to sweeping views of the region. You will visit the pretty village of Rimbocchi where you will have the opportunity to relax at the small park or grab a bite to eat in the café. Climb up to the summit of Poggio Montopoli before weaving through the forest of birch trees to what is widely regarded as one of the holiest spiritual sites in all of Italy, Santuario della Verna.

Meander the hills to a wooden cross to join part of the Grande Escursione Appenninica, a well-known route through the mountains. Get your camera ready for the steep climb to Monte Calvano and then to the summit of Monte della Modina. After this summit, the rest of the walk is downhill to Pieve Santo Stefano, which sits on the Upper Tiber River Valley. This town was destroyed during World War II, leaving it without its former mediaeval charm. However, Pieve Santo Stefano is still very pleasant to visit.

Follow the Tiber River for a while before climbing past forests and hillside farmland to enjoy the views of La Verne and Caprese Michelangelo. Winding back down to the Tiber River you will make your way to Sansepolcro. This town is the home of Buitoni Pasta, founded by Giulia Buitoni. In 1906 they built a hydroelectric power plant on the river, which allowed Sansepolcro to be the first Italian city to have electricity.

After breakfast, we bid you farewell, or welcome you to the next stage of the St Francis Way to Rome. While in town, you should visit the Gothic-Romanesque Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and the Museo Civico. This has a fresco by Piero della Francesca called Resurrection, a painting so significant that during World War II the town was saved from destruction by Allied artillery attack in order to preserve the painting.