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Via di Francesco - St Francis' Way - Roman Way from La Verna to Roma

Stage 4 - from Citerna to Città di Castello

From Citerna in Città di Castello, in the hills overlooking the Tiber Valley.

This route is about 20 km long and has a pleasant pace. From the rugged Apennine landscape of the previous legs, it takes you to the gentler landscape of the Upper Tiber Valley. The uphill stretches are not too demanding and you will be walking through fields and little villages.
From
Citerna
To
Città di Castello
Distance
19,9 Km
Increase in altitude
+ 820
Loss of altitude
- 1000
Surface
gravel road-tarmac
Road Sign
yes (yellow tau and vertical and horizontal yellow-blue signs)
Travel time
7 hours
Water sources
yes
Resting areas
no
Degree of difficulty
 
medium
Amid the horse chestnuts, oaks and downy oaks you will tackle uphill and downhill stretches without any steep slopes. Along the Way there are resting areas and drinking fountains where you can get food and water, among which there is a buffalo breeding farm that produces delicious mozzarella cheese. Once you have reached the ridge of the hills in the locality of Le Burge, you can enjoy a 180° view of the Tiber Valley and the Umbrian landscape, featuring hills, hillside villages, woods and churches. Several stretches of the route are in the sun and pilgrims should never be without a hat and a water bottle. In the locality of Lerchi you will walk alongside the “Arboreal Archaeology” foundation (which can be visited by booking) in which there are ancient local varieties of fruit plants, preserving the biodiversity of the area.
Along the way, a votive shrine and an iron cross indicate the Franciscan hermitage of Buon Riposo to us, which gets its name from the fact that St Francis stopped here. The last stretch is downhill and leads to the simple, elegant façade of the Cathedral of Città di Castello, which welcomes pilgrims on their way to Assisi. Città di Castello always had a very important cult of art: important artists worked here and solemn buildings and monumental churches were built, like the Cathedral, St Dominic and St Francis. Città di Castello is the home of one of the greatest Umbrian artists of the 20th century, Alberto Burri, whose works can be found in the town's two museums. Not to be missed is the Diocesan Museum, where the Treasure of Canoscio is kept, one of the most ancient existing collections of objects for liturgical use, dating back to the Early Christiana era.
What you should know before departure
Sources
There are water fountains (Citerna, Locality. Caldese, Locality Le Burgne,  Locality Lerchi, Locality Eremo del Buon Riposo, but only when the owners are there, and Città di Castello). Remember to fill your water bottle with at least 1.5 litres of water in the summer.
Intermediate stages
It is a short stage that crosses little residential areas, where you can find accommodation and dining facilities.
Suggestions
It is a medium difficulty stage of the journey.
Important information: sometimes you may encounter dogs guarding the flocks/herds. What should you do? A few simple recommendations: walk slowly and as far as possible from the flock/herd. The dogs will never attempt a direct attack. Speak in a calm tone of voice and avoid running. Several stretches of this leg of the journey are in the sun, so pilgrims should never be without a hat, sunscreen and a water bottle.
We recommend that you have the maps of the trail with you.
Information (e.g. how to get there using public transport)
Office IAT of Città di Castello
Address: Corso Cavour 5 - 06012 Città di Castello
Phone: 075 8554922  -  Fax. 075 8529314
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
citta di castello saint francis church on via di francesco walking to rome

Roman Way - Walking stages

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Stage 3

From Sansepolcro to Citerna

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Stage 4

From Citerna to Città di Castello

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Stage 5

From Città di Castello to Pietralunga

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Tags: WalkingAll the directionsRoman WayMediumCiternaCittà di Castello

There are different forms of hospitality available to those who are walking

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