St Francis Way in Umbria from Assisi to Rome – Stage 17c – from Assisi to Nocera Umbra - La Via di Francesco

The route retraces, in reverse, the final journey of Saint Francis, from Assisi towards the territory of Nocera Umbra, undertaken in the days preceding his death. It follows silent paths, largely shaded by the forests of the Mount Subasio Park, immersed in a landscape that invites slowness, listening, and reflection. Those who choose to continue beyond Nocera Umbra, passing through the Franciscan hermitage of Romita to Bagnara di Nocera Umbra and the Angel’s Cave, are rewarded with the discovery of evocative and authentic places, far from mass tourism routes.

This stage holds strong evocative value, linked to an episode of great importance in the life of the Saint. According to the Franciscan Sources, when the Municipality and the Bishop of Assisi learned of his imminent death, they sent a solemn delegation of knights to Bagnara. Francis was thus escorted on horseback towards his hometown, where he would experience the Transitus.

The route begins in Assisi and, passing the Rocca Minore, gradually leads the walker into increasingly secluded environments, offering wide views over the Tescio Valley. The path provides glimpses of the Rocca of Assisi, as well as vineyards and olive groves shaping the landscape, and allows for a short detour to the Church of Satriano, built in 1926 by the Company of Knights on the site of the former village of Satriano, where Francis and the knights stopped along the way.

Beyond the Termine Pass, one encounters the ruins of the Rocca of Postignano, once the castle of the Counts of Nocera, and the still-inhabited village of Villa Postignano, which depended on the castle and was primarily devoted to agricultural functions.

After passing Villa Postignano, the route reaches Nocera Umbra. Saint Francis passed through this town several times due to its strategic position as a junction along the Via Flaminia towards Fano and as access to a shorter route towards the Marche region. Evidence of his passage remains in one of the city’s medieval gates dedicated to him and in the Church of Saint Francis, now the Municipal Art Gallery.

The journey continues towards Bagnara, crossing places of worship such as the hermitage of Romita. This place, imbued with spirituality, has welcomed Francis’s followers since the earliest times and hosted the Saint himself in the summer of 1226. From here, one can enjoy the silence and peace typical of the places loved by the Saint, along with a splendid view over Nocera Umbra and the Topino Valley, down to Bagnara.

Immediately after the hermitage, the route passes through the medieval village of Le Cese, restored following the 1997 earthquake. From here, a short detour leads to the evocative waterfalls of the Topino River, known as the Cascate de le Ferce. The path descends towards Bagnara, and after about 1 km, the marked trail to the waterfalls begins. Immersed in woodland, it leads to the watercourse and the five cascades formed by the river over time.

From the Cascate de le Ferce, the trail climbs back to the road along the Topino Valley, and following it towards Bagnara, one soon reaches the hamlet. The Franciscan Sources recall how, in the final days of his life, the Saint was brought to Bagnara to find relief from his suffering thanks to the healthy climate and the presence of waters believed to have healing properties. From here, he was reached and taken by the knights, who accompanied him back to Assisi.

After visiting Bagnara, walkers are encouraged to continue to the Cave of Saint Angelo. This ancient mountain sanctuary, set against Mount Pennino, stands beside a natural cave from which a copious spring flows. It was here, in the summer of 1226, that Saint Francis stayed: gravely ill, he was brought here to benefit from the “stilla” shortly before his Transitus.

At the end of the stage, walkers can stop at one of the accommodation facilities in the municipality of Nocera Umbra.