Votive aedicule with a painting of Saint Francis, yellow flowers and red candles, among trees and greenery.
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Piandarca open-air sanctuary and the historic path

In a flat and unspoilt land, one of the most famous episodes in the life of Saint Francis took place in 1221: the renowned sermon to the birds.
 This place is called Piandarca, a site of remarkable natural beauty and profound silence, located in the municipality of Cannara.
 It is a wide open space of about 6,000 square meters, surrounded by cultivated fields, olive groves, and rows of poplars. The landscape is magnificent: in a single glance, one can take in the hills of Perugia, the town of Assisi, the Martani mountains, and the hills of Orvieto.

THE HISTORIC PATH AND THE OPEN-AIR SANCTUARY

 According to tradition, confirmed by Franciscan historiography, a small path of about two and a half kilometers winds through this marvelous landscape. This ‘Historic Path’ was walked by Saint Francis on his way to Bevagna after preaching in Cannara in the spring of 1221. Along the way, he noticed an extraordinary multitude of birds, to whom he delivered his sermon. This is one of the most poetic and well-known episodes from the life of Saint Francis, a source of inspiration for many artists such as Giotto (Upper Basilica, Assisi), Benozzo Gozzoli (Montefalco, Church of San Francesco), and even composers such as Franz Liszt.
 Halfway along the route, on the left bank of the Formella stream—traditionally considered the exact spot where the sermon took place—a sculpture-stone was placed, created by the artist Sestilio Burattini from Magione and his student Jelena Panjkovic.

Small brick votive shrine with a central fresco, set among ancient trees and cypresses in an autumn rural landscape, with fields and mountains in the background

Piandarca Shrine

Painting of Saint Francis with a halo, surrounded by birds and floral motifs on the aedicule of Piandarca.

Painting of Saint Francis

Aerial view of the fields of Piandarca with the large Franciscan TAU visible at the centre of the rural landscape.

Aerial view of the TAU of Piandarca

Night view of the illuminated TAU of Piandarca, with a colourful hot-air balloon and cars parked in the surrounding fields.

Night view of the TAU of Piandarca

Inscription in black letters on stone dedicated to Saint Francis and the birds, placed on the Piandarca Shrine

Piandarca Shrine – Inscription

Wooden cross and sculpture with birds on a meadow, at the site of Saint Francis's Sermon to the Birds in Piandarca

Open-air Sanctuary of Piandarca

Statue of Saint Francis with arms raised and a bird on each hand, in a sunny field

Statue of Saint Francis of Assisi in Piandarca

 About a kilometer from the sculpture-stone, along the path, lies the open-air sanctuary of Piandarca. A large TAU, the quintessential Franciscan symbol, has been created here; it is also beautifully illuminated at night, creating a fascinating effect. In 2017, a competition was launched to create a life-sized statue of Saint Francis. The competition was won by the artist Antonio De Paoli from Pavia, and the beautiful sculpture, titled “Go and fill the sky with song”, was installed in 2022.
 Surrounded by cypresses and oaks and protected by a low stone wall, the sanctuary houses a lovely votive aedicule commissioned in 1926 by a family from Cannara in gratitude for a grace received, on the occasion of the seventh centenary of the saint’s death. The aedicule was built in brick by local sculptor Bruno Bini and decorated by the painter Castore Vignaroli from Perugia.
 In front of the aedicule stands a stone altar, made by the same artist as the statue, Antonio De Paoli, for the celebration of sacred rites.

THE PROCESSION FROM CANNARA TO PIANDARCA, IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SAINT FRANCIS

Every year since 1645, the traditional Piandarca procession takes place. It begins at the Church of Saint Francis in Cannara (15th–16th century), retraces the path of the sermon to the birds, and ends at the Piandarca aedicule, where Holy Mass is celebrated. The procession takes place on the fifth Sunday after Easter which, according to popular belief, is the day when Francis walked this path and preached to his feathered friends.

Piandarca is a place of great beauty and spirituality, and a visit is highly recommended.

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