We begin our journey in the Franciscan places of Umbria, from the wonderful city of Gubbio, whose history is also deeply connected to that of St. Francis. According to what is narrated in the XXI chapter of "The Little Flowers of Saint Francis", it is here, near the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria (called "Chiesa della Vittorina"), that the saint miraculously managed to tame a ferocious wolf that had long terrified the inhabitants of Gubbio. Guided tour of the city. Time for lunch/shopping.

We’ll continue along St Francis’way, also known as the Path of Peace, and take a short stop in the medieval village of Valfabbrica. Here we find the Church of San Sebastiano dating back to the fourteenth century, renovated in the sixteenth century, and just outside the town walls, the seventeenth-century church of the Madonna della Foce.

We spend the whole day discovering Assisi, Franciscan place par excellence, not only in Umbria and in Italy, but all over the world. Indeed Saint Francis was born in Assisi in 1182; on the site of his presumed birthplace, today stands the Chiesa Nuova. It is in Assisi where he was baptized, in the Cathedral of San Rufino, it is among its alleys where he spent his youth dreaming of a future as a valiant knight, it is here, where today is the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, in Piazza del Vescovado, where he undressed himself repudiating the earthly goods for the love of God and the brothers. It is still in Assisi, in the Church of San Damiano, while praying in front of the crucifix, where he received the task of renewing the Church of Christ, it is in the city squares where he began his preaching and his work of charity and peace, and it is finally here where he died in 1226. His remains are preserved in the Basilica of San Francesco, but the saint still lives today in every stone of Assisi. We walk through its enchanting alleys and we visit the Franciscan places. Time for lunch/shopping.

Inside the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, at the foot of Assisi, there is the "Porziuncola", a small church restored by Saint Francis in which in 1209 the saint founded the Order of Friars Minor, entrusting it to the protection of the Virgin Mary. The Porziuncola is the heart of Franciscanism, the place where Francis discusses the "Rule" of the order with his friars and seeks new life for the preaching of the Gospel in the world. The courtyard of roses is also kept in the Basilica complex. According to sources, one night Francesco himself rolled naked amongst the thorn bushes, in order to combat doubt and temptation. It is then said that on contact with the Saint’s body, thorn-less roses began to bloom, and they still do to this day! These special flowers can only be found in this particular rose garden, and are named Rosa Canina Assisiensis. Time for lunch/shopping.

The Sanctuary of Rivotorto, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000, was born with the aim of preserving the Sacred Tugurio, the dwelling that for some time housed St. Francis and the twelve friars, the first companions of Francesco, who accompanied him to Rome to obtain the papal approval of the Rule of the Franciscan Order. Outside the Sanctuary, a statue depicts Francis and the leper. It is in this area, in fact, where the saint’s charity was concerned the most with the care of the sick that no one wanted to approach

In the afternoon we visit one of the most precious jewels of Umbria, Spello. The history of this beautiful village, though included in the official pilgrimage route, is not directly connected to St Francis’ life and facts. However, from the very beginning, the inhabitants of Spello were totally conquered by Francesco and his preaching, so that, as it is said in the XVIII chapter of the Fioretti, they were the first to come to the Porziuncola, bringing clothes and provisions to the five thousand friars who in 1221 gathered on the occasion of the General Chapter of the Order.

Cannara, one of the most important places in St Francis's preaching. The words and the fervor of the saint, so deeply ignited the hearts of the inhabitants of Cannara, that Francesco here decided to found to the Third Order, with the aim of uniting lay men and women inspired by his rule of life. Even today the cell that housed Francesco in his days in Cannara is still preserved and can be visited. Just outside the village, along the way that leads to Bevagna, we reach Piandarca, to visit what is considered the stone on which St. Francis set his feet during the sermon to the birds, one of the best known episodes of the life of the Poverello of Assisi.

Later in the morning we reach Bevagna, a marvellous medieval village where we hear of many visits of St. Francis in town, connected to the accomplishment of various miracles. Probably the most famous is the episode in which the Saint gave the sight to a blind girl, as reported by Fra Tommaso da Celano in the "Treatise of Miracles". Time for lunch.

We end our day, in the afternoon, visiting Foligno. The city is home to numerous monuments of great value such as the Palazzo Comunale, Palazzo Trinci, the Oratorio della Nunziatella which preserves a fresco by Perugino, Palazzo Orfini which holds the printing house where the first edition of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri was printed, the Duomo of San Feliciano. In Piazza della Repubblica then, we find a plaque commemorating the place where, in 1205, St. Francis performed the first act of his evangelical life: Francesco arrived in Foligno on horseback, loaded with precious fabrics and sold both the animal and the tissues to restore, with the proceeds, the church of San Damiano in Assisi

In the morning, we’ll visit Montefalco, known as the Balcony of Umbria, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking 360 ° view of the entire Valle Umbra. Among the numerous attractions: Town walls, Torre del Verziere, Church of Sant’Agostino, Piazza del Comune, Church of Santa Chiara, lookout point. We pay particular attention to the Church of San Francesco, which has now become a museum. The complex, built by the Friars Minor between 1335 and 1338, hosts spectacular frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli depicting episodes from the life of Saint Francis, and numerous other artworks of great beauty and priceless value. Time for lunch/shopping.

Built in Roman times, Trevi is the city of olive oil, listed among the most beautiful villages in Italy. Surrounded by olive trees, Trevi preserves Roman and medieval traces that give it a particularly charming atmosphere. Trevi also hosts a museum complex set up inside the former convent of San Francesco of the XIII century, with important artworks such as the cycle of frescoes by Bernardino Gagliardi dedicated to the stories of the life of Saint Francis.

We’ll spend our whole day in Spoleto, the ancient capital of the Lombard dukes, often considered one of Umbria’s most graceful hill towns. Spoleto will leave you breathless thanks to many Roman and medieval attractions that will make an unforgettable impression. The city is also deeply connected to St. Francis: in Spoleto, in fact, an episode occured which is considered the "first conversion" of Francis. It was 1204, Francesco was passing by Spoleto to reach Lecce, where he wanted to join the Christian knights and go to Jerusalem to fight in the Crusades. However, his journey had to stop right in Spoleto: Francesco fell ill and during his convalescence had two prophetic dreams that made him abandon the chivalric ideal and convinced him to return to Assisi. Not only that, in the Cathedral of Spoleto, is preserved a precious relic, an autograph letter written by St. Francis to Friar Leo, his most devoted and faithful confrere. In the world there are only two autograph letters of the Saint recognised as authentic by scholars, it is therefore a document of extraordinary historical and religious importance.