Trekking between art and nature

Accommodation in a hotel. Visit to Cesi, a small village overlooking the city of Terni, where an atmosphere of bygone times prevails. Numerous churches are worth visiting, including the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, with a beautiful wooden choir and various precious paintings. Afterwards, transfer to Carsulae for the visit to the Roman archaeological site. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon, trek from Carsulae to Romita di Cesi and comeback, following the path of the Franciscan proto-martyrs. At the Romita, 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. At the end, descent towards Carsulae. Return to the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay

After breakfast, the start of the Franciscan Proto-martyrs route from Terni towards Stroncone. This stage is occasionally challenging due to the continuous ups and downs on the hills of Terni. The journey unfolds amidst nature, commencing at the Church of Santa Maria della Pace, where one can admire the impressive pictorial cycle on the Franciscan Proto-martyrs by the artist Stefano di Stasio. Along the way, you can visit the remains of the ancient Benedictine Abbey of San Benedetto in Fundis and the Monastery of San Simeone, where today the religious community of the Prayer Reconstructionists resides. The route will lead to Stroncone, the birthplace of Saint Ottone, one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Umbria. The stage concludes at the 13th-century Convent of San Francesco. The duration of the walk is between 4 and 5 hours with a maximum slope of approximately 28%. At the end, return to the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay

After breakfast, transfer to the Franciscan Sanctuary of Sacro Speco, one of the most important Franciscan sites in Umbria. It is located near S. Urbano di Narni, at an altitude of 600 meters, and is built near the caves where the saint of Assisi used to retreat for prayer. At the end of the sanctuary visit, we will proceed by car to Narni. Along the approach to the village, it will be possible to admire the imposing Rocca Albornoziana from the outside, or, with a small detour, it will be possible to visit it. Free visit to the historic center of Narni and guided tour of Narni Underground, a place shrouded in mystery, integrating various environments: crypts, churches, cisterns, and a room reserved for the tribunal of the Holy Inquisition, where interrogations took place. In the adjacent cell, a place of imprisonment for the accused, there are graffiti that testify to the suffering of the prisoners. In the early afternoon, we reach the vicinity of the Ponte di Augusto to start a trek to the Mills of Narni, a flat route along the Nera River, with wonderful panoramic views. The stage lasts about 3 hours, round trip. At the end, return to the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.

After breakfast, transfer to Amelia to begin a self-guided urban trek in the small village, where in 1213 St. Francis passed through and converted some women of easy virtue. You will enter the village through the imposing Porta Romana and, walking through the narrow streets of the historic center, admire some Renaissance palaces. You will visit the Cathedral of Santa Fermina, the civic tower, the Loggia del Banditore, the church, and the convent of San Francesco, which has a harmonious cloister. There is also the possibility to visit the Civic Archaeological Museum, where the famous and beautiful bronze statue of Germanicus is housed. A few kilometers from the center, you can visit the Sanctuary of the S.S. Annunziata, a Franciscan convent with a harmonious Renaissance cloister.