pilgrims walking along the way of st francis assisi stages of the journey

From Gubbio to Valfabbrica through the forests of St Francis. Assisi gets closer and closer.

Stage 7 - from Gubbio to Valfabbrica

Description

Walking
This leg of the journey retraces, inversely, one of the most important journeys undertaken by St Francis: once he had made the prophetic gesture of ridding himself of all property before the bishop of Assisi, he headed towards Gubbio, where he was welcomed as a pilgrim by his friend Spadalonga.There are numerous accommodation facilities to break up the length of the route.

From

Gubbio

To

Valfabbrica

Distance

38 Km

Increase in altitude

+ 1.210

Loss of altitude

- 1.410

Surface

gravel road-tarmac-path

Road Sign

yes (vertical and horizontal yellow-blue signs)

Travel time

12 hours

Water sources

yes

Resting areas

yes

Degree of difficulty

challenging

The route is approximately 36 km long and is challenging, due to its length and the continuous uphill and downhill stretches. We advise you to divide this leg of the journey, by finding accommodation at the intermediate stop-over places. Along this road, St Francis proclaimed himself "herald of the Great King" when faced with the bandits who manhandled him. He reached a monastery (Abbey of Vallingegno), where he was received reluctantly and sent to work as a scullery boy in the kitchen. As a pilgrim, Saint Francis faced numerous challenges and difficulties, but these are what makes the journey unique for anyone deciding to follow in his footsteps. The first stretch leaving Gubbio is on tarmac and you need to be careful. It continues on along a dirt road and once you reach the ridge, it is worth turning back to say goodbye to Gubbio.You continue on walking between the valley of the Chiascio river and the castles standing on the hilltops. In the distance, on clear days, you can get a glimpse of Monte Subasio. You will get to the little church Delle Ripe or Madonna delle Grazie, one of the most endearing places along the Way, where memories of the passage of pilgrims are preserved. Stop here and meditate. Afterwards, you begin to climb through the conifer woods until you reach the hermitage of San Pietro in Vigneto: inside it there is a drinking fountain. After a descent, you continue uphill to the church of Caprignone, which is also a cool resting place. This time, the uphill stretch is challenging and leads to the castle of Biscina, the last place in which you can get a supply of water. From here on, it is almost all downhill until you reach Valfabbrica.This last stretch is, however, on tarmac and in the sun, so always remember your sun hat and water supply. The Franciscan Parish Church of Coccorano is worth visiting. The wait is almost over and Valfabbrica is a Franciscan Monte do Gozo, where you can meditate on the journey that will end in Assisi in front of the tomb of St Francis.

Sources
The water fountains find at Ponte d'Assi, Ponte di Rocchio (public fountain donated by the youths of the Baracca Party, inside the hermitage of San Pietro in Vigneto, in the locality of Biscina), inside the hermitage of San Pietro in Vigneto, in the locality of Biscina.

Intermediate stages
You can find accommodation in the localities of Eremo in San Pietro in Vigneto, Bellugello, Biscina, Coccorano and Valfabbrica.

Suggestions
It is a challenging leg of the journey, due to its length and the continuous, sometimes steep, uphill and downhill stretches. We recommend that you reduce the distance, by taking advantage of accommodation facilities along the way. In the summer, be careful to avoid walking during the hottest hours of the day. 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 Gubbio (common Gubbio, Costacciaro, Fossato di Vico, Gualdo Tadino, Scheggia e Pascelupo, Sigillo, Valfabbrica)
Address: Via della Repubblica 15 - 06024 Gubbio
Phone: 075 9220693
Email: info@iat.gubbio.pg.it