The Camino de Santiago is known throughout the world, thousands of people make the pilgrimage until the Santiago de Compostela cathedral in Spain each year.
However, there’s another lesser known, but equally, charming pilgrimage of about 300km that passes through the Italian regions of Tuscany and Umbria. The Saint Francis Way, also known as Via Francigena, emerged in response to several pilgrimages that have existed for centuries to places such as Assisi, La Verna, Cerbaiolo, etc.
Starting at the Benedetta Bianchi Porro di Dovadola refuge, the trail takes in emblematic places such as La Verna, the sacred mount where Saint Francis of Assisi is said to have received the stigmata, Monte Paolo hermitage, which was the saint’s first home in Italy, Gubbio, the Camaldoli monastery and hermitage and finally Assisi.
Unlike the Camino de Santiago, the Saint Francis Way organises supervised outings to ensure all the pilgrims are cared for and welcomed at each stage of the pilgrimage.
