Assisi to Rome:Via di Francesco with Patrick Mowrer,
September 26 - October 11, 2025

Overview

The two capitals of pilgrimage in Italy are Assisi, home to St. Francis and St. Clare, and Rome, home to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul and a panoply of others. This itinerary on the Via di Francesco links Assisi to Rome in a green and beautiful walk of sixteen days through Umbria and Lazio and enters busy Rome along a scenic and quiet bicycle trail. The walk includes scenic wonders, like Marmore Falls and the Nera Valley. It also includes important sites in the life of St Francis that give this itinerary a special warmth and spirit.

Map of the route

Daily Itinerary

Friday, September 26, 2025 - Gather in Assisi

Description

Check-in at the group hotel, relax and enjoy the city, then gather for orientation in the late afternoon. Have your first group dinner together and then head to bed to rest and relax for tomorrow’s walk.

distance: 0 km

ascent: 0 m

descent: 0 m

% hard surfaces: 0

difficulty rating: 0

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Saturday, September 27, 2025 - Assisi to Spello

Description

We take the high road to Monte Subasio, enjoying fantastic views over the Spoleto Valley before descending to charming Spello. Delightful Spello and its 37 medieval churches await us. Walking the entire route is an option for the athletic while the rest of the group will take the van to Eremo delle Carceri (see map) to put the hardest climb behind them and better enjoy the day of dramatic scenery.

distance: 14.6 km

ascent: 716 m

descent: 867 m

% hard surfaces: 24%

difficulty rating: 9

Sunday, September 28, 2025 - Spello to Trevi

Description

Our first stop is Foligno, where Francis sold his father’s cloth to raise money for God’s purposes. We continue through Foligno to beautiful Trevi that sits high on a hilltop, its steeples pointing toward the heavens and its quiet streets welcoming our explorations.

distance: 19.1 km

ascent: 329 m

descent: 190 m

% hard surfaces: 82%

difficulty rating: 7

Monday, September 29, 2025 - Trevi to Poreta/Spoleto

Description

Walk from the lovely town of Trevi along the mountainsides filled with convents and castles. Enjoy identifying herbs and watching ripening progress on the olives growing on these scenic hillsides above the vineyard covered Spoleto Valley. Transfer in the van or continue on foot to cosmopolitan Spoleto, home to the Due Mondi International Music Festival. We peek into the historic Duomo which houses an authentic, handwritten letter of St. Francis.

distance: 11.7 km

ascent: 382 m

descent: 446 m

% hard surfaces: 42%

difficulty rating: 7

Tuesday, September 30, 2025 - Spoleto to Macenano

Description

On our way up the hill we stop at the Franciscan Convent of Monteluco and soon afterward we gaze across the lofty gorge that begins our entry to the Nera River Valley. Our overnight is in a renovated 10-century monastery on the hillside above the Valnerina scenic area.

distance: 19.5 km

ascent: 656 m

descent: 799 m

% hard surfaces: 29%

difficulty rating: 8

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 - Macenano to Arrone

Description

We’re in no rush today either, and our short walk culminates in the charming village of Arrone, at the foot of some of the highest peaks of the Central Apennine range.

distance: 9.9 km

ascent: 85 m

descent: 102 m

% hard surfaces: 27%

difficulty rating: 5

Thursday, October 2, 2025 - Arrone to Piediluco

Description

The only climb of the day is alongside the mighty Marmore Waterfalls. Built by the Romans, who diverted the course of the Velino River, Marmore’s waters now flow through hydroelectric turbines by night and over the falls by day. The shores of Lake Piediluco, where St. Francis preached, await us for an afternoon and overnight.

distance: 14.2 km

ascent: 258 m

descent: 117 m

% hard surfaces: 43%

difficulty rating: 6

Friday, October 3, 2025 - Piediluco to Poggio Bustone

Description

St Francis loved the mountains, and legend tells us that a beech tree sheltered him atop a mountain in a terrible storm. We visit that beech tree 800 years later before making our way down to rustic Poggio Bustone. In a cave above the town, Francis had two visions that would change the course of his life and the course of history. Remembering that legacy is the Sanctuary of San Giacomo, the first of the Holy Valley sites we experience. This is the hardest walking day of the trip, but van options allow participants to reduce or eliminate the long uphill climb.

distance: 20.9 km

ascent: 879 m

descent: 517 m

% hard surfaces: 63%

difficulty rating: 9

Saturday, October 4, 2025 - Poggio Bustone to Rieti

Description

Midway through today’s forested walk is beautiful Cantalice, which, once it is discovered, will be widely recognized as one of the most lovely towns in Italy. Along the way is our second Franciscan sanctuary of the Holy Valley of Rieti - La Foresta.

distance: 16.9 km

ascent: 285 m

descent: 626 m

% hard surfaces: 70%

difficulty rating: 7

Sunday, October 5, 2025 - Rieti Rest Day (or tour!)

Description

Either rest for the day or visit St. Francis’ sanctuaries in the nearby towns. Rieti is worth a tour in its own right, with its fascinating underground Salt Road guided trip. Dinner is not included this evening, so you are free to explore the restaurants of this regional capital. Rather than rest, another option is to walk back to Rieti from Greccio (see map).

distance: 22.8 km

ascent: 526 m

descent: 771 m

% hard surfaces: 65%

difficulty rating: 7

Monday, October 6, 2025 - Rieti to Poggio San Lorenzo

Description

Cross a 1600 year old Roman bridge before coming to Poggio San Lorenzo, itself built on foundations laid by the Romans. This is Sabina, Italy’s most famous olive-growing region, and these small mountains separated by quiet creeks each shelter their own charming village and people.

distance: 20.5 km

ascent: 359 m

descent: 266 m

% hard surfaces: 58%

difficulty rating: 7

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - Poggio San Lorenzo to Ponticelli

Description

Here shepherds guard their flocks, which feed among the olive groves on these steep hillsides. Ancient churches stand in testimony to centuries of faith by families whose names are long forgotten.

distance: 19.7 km

ascent: 568 m

descent: 732 m

% hard surfaces: 27%

difficulty rating: 8

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 - Ponticelli to Monterotondo

Description

The mountains spread out as the terrain begins its transition to the flat plains of the Tiber Valley. Hints of urban life are kept away from us as we make our way through nature preserves and quiet farms. Walk the entire route or take the van from Montelibretti to shorten your day.

distance: 29.3 km

ascent: 536 m

descent: 716 m

% hard surfaces: 70%

difficulty rating: 8

Thursday, October 9, 2025 - Monterotondo to Monte Sacro

Description

The Gattececa Nature Preserve is our morning, and by the afternoon we are on the streets of Rome’s suburbs. While we miss the quiet, the excitement of arriving as pilgrims in one of the world’s great cities is palpable.

distance: 18.6 km

ascent: 286 m

descent: 401 m

% hard surfaces: 91%

difficulty rating: 7

Friday, October 10, 2025 - Monte Sacro to the Vatican

Description

Even urban Rome has quiet bicycle paths, and we use them to take us deep into the heart of the city. Once there, we diverge from the official route to follow a leafy and green route through Rome's two largest urban parks, ending in our triumphal entry at the gates of the Vatican City. We’ve done it. We’ve walked the pilgrim path to Rome. It’s time to receive our testimonium that confirms our pilgrimage, and it’s time for a final toast with new best friends who’ve shared this journey of discovery, accomplishment and joy.

distance: 13.1 km

ascent: 86 m

descent: 93 m

% hard surfaces: 81%

difficulty rating: 6