experience of life in track and in franciscan place

Stage 24

8. from Piediluco to Poggio Bustone

Description

Walking
The stage guides the walker from Umbria to Lazio. The journey starts at the Sanctuary of Saint Francis in Piediluco. The stage winds along a flat stretch around the lake, then runs upslope towards Labro, “the stone village”.
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Previous

From

Piediluco

To

Poggio Bustone

Distance

22,04 Km

Increase in altitude

+ 996m

Loss of altitude

- 566m

Surface

Asphalt – Dirt road – Mule track

Road Sign

yes

Travel time

8 h

Water sources

yes

Resting areas

yes

Degree of difficulty

challenging

Among green meadows and juniper bushes, we reach Morro Reatino, and then continue towards Rivodutri, where the Beech Tree of di San Francesco rises. According to legend, during a heavy storm, Francesco sought shelter under this beech tree, which, by the will of God, bent its branches to protect him from the rain, taking a unique, extraordinary shape. Past the adjacent Chapel of San Francesco al Cepparo, we continue along a dirt road leading to the Franciscan Sanctuary of San Giacomo in Poggio Bustone, where the Saint addressed the locals with the greeting “Good morning, good people”. Let us keep walking up a path in the wood, hosting six small chapels, built around 1650 in memory of Francesco’s miracles, and reach the Sacro Speco. This cave, where he retired in prayer, is now incorporated into a small church embedded in a rock hidden by the woods.

Sources
There are water fountains in Voc. Valle Spoletina, Labro, Colle Rucciolo and Cepparo. Remember to fill your water bottle with at least 1.5 litres of water in the summer.

Intermediate stages
There are resting areas where you can stop and take a regenerative break or find accommodation and shorten this leg of the journey.
Along the way there are small inhabited nuclei and the village of Labro.

Suggestions
Two magical places welcome pilgrims to the Holy Valley of Rieti: the beech woods of St Francis and the Sanctuary at Poggio Bustone.
We recommend that you have the maps of the trail with you. Simplified maps can be downloaded by clicking on the online map. Remember to always have a small supply of food with you (fruit, dried fruit, chocolate, energy bars, something energy-giving in general).

Information (e.g. how to get there using public transport)
Territorial Tourist Office of Rieti
Address: Via Cintia, 87 Rieti
Phone: 0746 264106/8/0
Email: acolandrea@regione.lazio.it  mpalazzoli@regione.lazio.it
Site: www.camminodifrancesco.it