The Ways of Francis in the Lands of Arezzo

The figure of Saint Francis, eight centuries after his death, is more alive than ever.
In recent years, the places he visited during his tireless wanderings have become part of beautiful itineraries to be travelled on foot, by bicycle or on horseback: the Ways of Francis, which connect the land of Arezzo with Assisi.
The routes in the footsteps of the Saint are authentic journeys of body and spirit, allowing travellers to relive the sensations experienced by Francis through the eyes of today and to pause in places that still preserve the memory of his words and actions. In the Arezzo area, the Poor Man of Assisi found refuge several times and spent part of his life. He remained deeply attached to some of these places until his death.
The Ways of Francis that cross the valleys of Arezzo are experiences to be enjoyed independently along itineraries of different lengths and levels of difficulty, where nature intertwines with spirituality, art and culture.

The Casella Way

The Casella Way is an itinerary that connects the Sanctuary of La Verna with Anghiari, passing through the Hermitage of La Casella and Caprese Michelangelo. After Ponte alla Piera, the route reaches the Castle of Montauto, where Francis was often a guest of the ancient Galbino family. Nearby are the small chapel known as the Maestà di San Francesco and the Cenacolo di Montauto, from where the path continues to Anghiari.
From this point, it is possible either to descend towards Citerna, where the route connects with the Montecasale way and continues along the Valtiberina way towards Città di Castello and Assisi, or to head west, towards Arezzo and Cortona, to reach Assisi from the Valdichiana along the Celle Way.

Itinerary

Length and difficulty: 47.50 km linear route, itinerant – E (hiking)

Start: Sanctuary of La Verna

Route: Sanctuary of La Verna, Hermitage of La Casella, Alpe di Catenaia, Caprese Michelangelo, Castle of Montauto, Anghiari

Duration: the itinerary is divided into two daily stages

• La Verna – Caprese Michelangelo

• Caprese Michelangelo – Anghiari

The Celle Way

From Anghiari, the route moves towards Arezzo, with a stop at the Basilica of San Francesco, which houses Piero della Francesca’s fresco cycle of the Stories of the True Cross and preserves the relics of Benedetto Sinigardi, an early Franciscan and provincial minister of the Order in the Holy Land. His mortal remains are kept in the right wall of the church. Arezzo is also linked to the tradition of the “Expulsion of the Devils”, masterfully represented by Giotto in the Upper Basilica of Assisi.

From the city, the way continues into the Val di Chiana towards Cortona, where visitors can admire the Church of San Francesco, the Sanctuary of Santa Margherita, which belonged to the Franciscan Secular Third Order, and the Hermitage of Le Celle, linked to Brother Elias, one of the Saint’s first followers and Minister General of the Order. From here, the route continues towards the nearby Umbrian territory and on to Assisi.

Itinerary

Length and difficulty: 69.90 km linear route, itinerant – E (hiking)

Start: Anghiari

Route: Anghiari, Arezzo, Pieve di Sassaia, Castiglion Fiorentino, Cortona

Duration: the itinerary is divided into 3 or 4 daily stages

• Anghiari – Arezzo (can be divided into 2 shorter stages)

• Arezzo – Pieve di Sassaia

• Pieve di Sassaia – Cortona

The Montecasale Way

Known for the peace and quiet that can be felt while crossing its forests, this route starts from the Sanctuary of La Verna and descends through the woods of the Upper Valtiberina.

It crosses Pieve Santo Stefano and reaches the Hermitage of Cerbaiolo, an 8th-century Benedictine monastery donated to Saint Francis in 1216. It then continues towards the Hermitage of Montecasale, a place of great spiritual value, donated to the Saint in 1212 and one of his most beloved retreats. The way continues as far as the Church of San Francesco in Sansepolcro. It is one of the most evocative and panoramic itineraries in the area, rich in historical and spiritual evidence.

Itinerary

Length and difficulty: 64 km linear route, itinerant – E (hiking)

Start: Sanctuary of La Verna

Route: Sanctuary of La Verna, Pieve Santo Stefano, Hermitage of Cerbaiolo, Alpe della Luna Nature Reserve, Hermitage of Montecasale, Sansepolcro

Duration: four daily stages

• La Verna – Hermitage of Cerbaiolo

• Hermitage of Cerbaiolo – Montagna

• Montagna – Sansepolcro

• Sansepolcro – Anghiari

The Ice House Trail
and the Sanctuary of La Verna

Immersed in the magnificent monumental forest of La Verna, within the Casentino Forests National Park, the “Trail of the Ancient Ice Houses”, also known as the Bosco delle Fate, is one of the most evocative hiking routes in the province of Arezzo. The Trail of the Ancient Ice Houses, also known as Bosco delle Fate, is one of the most beautiful trails in the province of Arezzo and winds through the Casentino Forests, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park.

As well as its extraordinary beauty, this route is characterised along its path by large cracks in the rock, used since ancient times as ice houses, from which currents of cool air emerge, offering a pleasant feeling of relief from the summer heat. After the climb to Monte Penna, the route reaches the Sanctuary of La Verna, one of the most important and evocative Franciscan and Christian sites.

Itinerary

Length and difficulty: 8.5 km double loop – E (hiking)

Start: Loc. La Beccia (Chiusi della Verna)

Route: Loc. La Beccia, Monumental Forest of La Verna, Ice Houses, Sanctuary of La Verna, Monte Penna, Sanctuary of La Verna, Loc. La Beccia

Duration: 5 hours

In the Sacred Forest, from the Monastery
to the Hermitage of Camaldoli

An extraordinary experience within the Casentino Forests, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park, discovering a place of incredible beauty.

A loop route that leads from the Monastery to the Sacred Hermitage of Camaldoli, a symbolic place of spirituality, within the Casentino Forests, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park.

This hike takes place entirely within the Camaldoli Biogenetic Nature Reserve, in the shade of the ancient Sacred Forest, which will enchant visitors with its majestic silver firs reaching towards the sky, mighty beech trees and other centuries-old trees, including the patriarch of the Park, the famous “Castagno Miraglia”, almost 500 years old.

The loop route leads from the Monastery to the Sacred Hermitage of Camaldoli, a symbolic place of spirituality, surrounded by a crown of imposing centuries-old trees that protect the ancient cells which have offered refuge to hermit monks for more than a thousand years.

Itinerary

Length and difficulty: 9.5 km loop route – E (hiking)

Start: Monastery of Camaldoli

Route: Monastery of Camaldoli, Hermitage of Camaldoli, Monastery of Camaldoli

Duration: 5 hours

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