Florence to Santuario della Verna: Via di Francesco Part 1 of 4,
May 12 - May 19, 2026

Overview

We’ve designed four connected pilgrimage tours on the Via di Francesco, allowing you to walk a single section or link them together for a continuous journey from Florence through Assisi to Rome, following Francis’s footsteps. This is the first of those four itineraries.

This pilgrimage from Florence to Santuario della Verna offers a rich blend of art, history, forested trails, and spiritual reflection. Setting out from the cradle of the Renaissance, you’ll pass through undulating Tuscan hills, cross the Apennine ridges, and enter the sacred Casentino forests before ascending to the mountaintop sanctuary where St. Francis received the stigmata.

The route retraces connections once used by Franciscan monks, weaving paths through remote valleys, wooded ridges, quiet villages, and hermitages. The terrain grows more rugged as you progress—expect daily ascents and descents, narrow forest tracks, and stretches of solitude. 

Pilgrims on this stretch typically walk 4–7 hours per day, covering between 12 and 20 km, depending on the stage. The rewards are manifold: the peaceful rhythms of nature, glimpses of medieval villages, spiritual silence, and at journey’s end, the majestic sanctuary perched in the forested heights of Mount Penna. 

This version of the pilgrimage is an ideal choice for walkers who wish to immerse themselves in Tuscany’s hidden landscapes and the contemplative spirit of Francis before continuing onward to Assisi (if desired).