Perugia, a city to discover the Saint Francis Way

The Camino de Santiago is known throughout the world, thousands of people make the pilgrimage until the Santiago de Compostela cathedral in Spain each year.

However, there’s another lesser known, but equally, charming pilgrimage of about 300km that passes through the Italian regions of Tuscany and Umbria. The Saint Francis Way, also known as Via Francigena, emerged in response to several pilgrimages that have existed for centuries to places such as Assisi, La Verna, Cerbaiolo, etc.

Starting at the Benedetta Bianchi Porro di Dovadola refuge, the trail takes in emblematic places such as La Verna, the sacred mount where Saint Francis of Assisi is said to have received the stigmata, Monte Paolo hermitage, which was the saint’s first home in Italy, Gubbio, the Camaldoli monastery and hermitage and finally Assisi.

Unlike the Camino de Santiago, the Saint Francis Way organises supervised outings to ensure all the pilgrims are cared for and welcomed at each stage of the pilgrimage.

If you fancy discovering these Italian regions from a different perspective and enjoying an unforgettable experience surrounded by unspoilt nature, we recommend grabbing your backpack and setting off on this rewarding route.

And when you’ve reached the finish line, there’s no better place to have a well-deserved R&R than at the BlueBay Perugia****, a hotel with incredible views of the surrounding countryside that has borne witness to this unforgettable pilgrimage.