Dettaglio tour

1ST DAY

Accommodation in the hotel. Free visit to Cesi, a small village overlooking the city of Terni and where you can breathe in an atmosphere of times gone by. There are numerous churches to visit, including the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, with a beautiful wooden choir and several precious paintings. Afterwards, transfer to Carsulae for a free visit of the Roman archaeological site. Free lunch. In the afternoon, trekking from Carsulae to the Romita di Cesi and back, following the route of the Franciscan protomartyrs. At the Romita, in fact, there is a Franciscan hermitage where silence and spirituality reign supreme and where St Francis passed in 1213, restoring a chapel and composing a text that anticipated the Canticle of the Creatures. Afterwards, we descend towards Carsulae. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

2ND DAY

After breakfast, start of the Franciscan Protomartyrs' route from Terni in the direction of Stroncone. This is a demanding stage at times due to the continuous ups and downs in the Terni hills. The route develops in the midst of nature. It starts from the Church of Santa Maria della Pace, where one can admire the imposing pictorial cycle on the Franciscan Protomartyrs by artist Stefano di Stasio. Along the way, one can visit the ruins of the ancient Benedictine Abbey of San Benedetto in Fundis and the Monastery of San Simeone, where the religious community of the Ricostruttori nella Preghiera (Builders in Prayer) is present today. We will reach Stroncone, the birthplace of Saint Brass, one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Umbria. The stage will end at the 13th-century Convent of St Francis. Duration of the walk between 4 and 5 hours with a maximum gradient of around 28%. At the end, return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

3RD DAY

After breakfast, transfer to the Franciscan Sanctuary of the Sacro Speco, one of the most important Franciscan sites in Umbria. It is located near S. Urbano di Narni, 600 metres above sea level, and is built near the caves where the Saint of Assisi used to retire in prayer. At the end of the visit to the sanctuary, we will proceed by car to Narni. On the way to the village, it will be possible to admire the imposing Rocca Albornoziana from the outside, or, with a small diversions, to visit it. Free visit to the historic centre of Narni and guided tour of Narni Sotterranea, a place shrouded in great mystery, which incorporates various types of environments inside: crypts, churches, cisterns and a room reserved for the tribunal of the Holy Inquisition, where interrogations took place. In the adjoining cell, the place of imprisonment of the inquisites, there are graffiti testifying to the suffering of the prisoners. In the early afternoon we reach the vicinity of the Ponte di Augusto bridge to begin a trek to the Mole di Narni, a flat route close to the Nera river, with wonderful panoramic views. The stage lasts about 3 hours, including round trip. At the end, return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

4TH DAY

After breakfast, transfer to Amelia to begin an independent urban trek in the small village, where in 1213 St Francis passed and converted some women of easy virtue. We will enter the village from the imposing Porta Romana and walk through the alleys of the historic centre, admiring some Renaissance palazzos, visiting the Cathedral of Santa Fermina, the civic tower, the Loggia del Banditore, the church and convent of San Francesco, which features a harmonious cloister. It is possible to visit the Archaeological Civic Museum, which houses the famous and beautiful bronze statue of Germanicus. A few kilometres from the centre, it is possible to visit the Sanctuary of the S.S. Annunziata, a Franciscan convent with a harmonious Renaissance cloister.

- three nights' accommodation with breakfast in 3/4-star hotels (depending on the chosen category)

- three dinners at the hotel with a three-course menu, drinks not included

- entrance to the archaeological park of Carsulae

- entrance and guided tour of Narni Sotterranea

- transfers

- meals, except those included

- entrance fees, except those included

- drinks with meals

- accompanying person or tour guide

- tourist tax

- anything not specified under "the fee includes".

Along the Way of Francis and the Franciscan Protomartyrs, in the wilderness following marked and signposted paths, one reaches sacred places where silence, meditation and prayer are at the centre of life. The Hermitage of the Romita di Cesi, the Convent of St. Francis in Stroncone, the Sanctuary of the Sacro Speco and the Abbey of the S.S. Annunziata in Amelia are some of the places where St. Francis stopped to leave the mark of his passage, for which he is still remembered and loved today.