Offered to Garrett-Evangelical faculty, staff, and alumni/ae, this thirteen-night walking pilgrimage and travel-study experience immerses participants in the life, ministry, and enduring legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi. The itinerary is curated by United Methodist pastor and pilgrimage author Sandy Brown (G-ETS ’82 M.Div.) and his company, Pilgrim Paths, to weave together the most significant Franciscan sites in Italy for both educational insight and spiritual discovery. The journey includes up to 162 kilometers (101 miles) of paths, trails, and farm roads in the foothills of Italy's Central Apennine range.

Beloved among the saints, Francis spent much of his ministry in the Rieti Valley—today known as La Valle Santa di Rieti(“The Holy Valley”). Four historic Franciscan sanctuaries encircle this valley, and our journey begins by visiting each of them. From Rieti, pilgrims walk north toward other key Franciscan locations—Piediluco, Faggio San Francesco, Monteluco, and Spoleto—arriving ultimately in Assisi, the saint’s birthplace and final resting place. Upon arrival, each participant receives a testimonial certificate recognizing the completion of at least 100 kilometers on foot to the home of Francis. A guided tour of the renowned frescoes in the Basilica di San Francesco follows, after which a free day allows time for rest or self-guided exploration of this beloved medieval town.

The pilgrimage concludes with a van transfer to Santuario della Verna, a secluded Franciscan retreat for eight centuries and the place where Francis is said to have received the stigmata—marks he kept hidden in life but which were revealed at his death.

This journey is steeped in the life and spirit of Francis, with daily storytelling by Sandy Brown, your Pilgrim Paths host and experienced interpreter of the saint’s world. A Garrett-Evangelical faculty member will offer reflections on Franciscan spirituality from a Protestant perspective, while local guides provide historical and cultural background that brings the landscape—and the saint—to life.

Study suggestions include the books Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi, by Richard Rohr, the classic Saint Francis of Assisi, by G.K. Chesterton, Francis of Assisi: A New Biography, by Augustine Thompson, O.P., and Walking the Way of St. Francis: From Florence to Assisi and Rome (2nd Edition), by Sandy Brown.

Arrive in Rieti, at the heart of the “Holy Valley.” An optional tour of Underground Rieti introduces the town’s layered Roman and medieval history. Over dinner, a conversation frames the pilgrimage’s purpose: what it might mean for contemporary ministry to walk in Francis’s path without romanticizing it.
Travel suggestion: fly into Rome or Florence airport and catch the train to Rieti.

Transfer to Greccio, where Francis staged the first live Nativity—an early act of imaginative theology. The walk to Fonte Colombo, where he composed the Rule of 1223, invites reflection on structure and freedom in community life. Optional transfer from Contigliano for a shorter route (10.8km/6.7 miles). Return to Rieti by van or on foot.

Walk north to Poggio Bustone, where Francis confronted his sense of failure and heard the words, “Your sins are forgiven.” The day’s gentle ascent through forest paths offers a chance to consider vocational weariness and the grace of starting over.

For eight centuries, pilgrims have told the story of the beech tree that sheltered Francis during a storm. The day’s climb leads to Faggio San Francesco, said to descend from that ancient tree—its quiet canopy inviting reflection on endurance, vulnerability, and grace. Panoramic views reward the effort before the descent to the abandoned hilltown of Labro, a haunting reminder of change and time’s passage. The day ends at Piediluco, a tranquil lakeside village whose church commemorates Francis’s visit here. Overnight in Piediluco.

After a big day up to Faggio San Francesco, we visit the largest human-made waterfall in the world – Marmore Falls– built by the Romans nearly 1,700 years ago. Overnight Macenano.

The most demanding and rewarding stage of the journey leads from the Nera Valley to the hilltop city of Spoleto. The climb offers panoramic views and exceptional walking through rugged Umbrian terrain. We pause at the Convent of Monteluco, where a simple stone cell recalls Francis’s stay here and his love of solitude. Three optional starting points—at the hotel, at the trailhead in Pontuglia, or above the main climb near Monteluco—allow each pilgrim to set a fitting challenge for the day. With the Ponte delle Torri now reopened, we walk directly across its dramatic span into Spoleto and visit the Duomo, where a letter written by Francis is preserved, before continuing to our hotel.

Begin the day with a guided walking tour of Spoleto, exploring its layered history—from Roman arches and Lombard churches to Renaissance frescoes and the stunning Duomo. In the afternoon, join an optional excursion to Montefalco, home to the Museo di San Francesco, where sacred art illuminates the Franciscan story in paint and stone. The visit concludes with a tasting of Sagrantino wine, a varietal long associated with the Franciscan tradition of this region—a fitting blend of study, culture, and gastronomy.

The Spoleto Valley is ringed by tall hills, and over the next two days we walk through its broad fields and along its scenic slopes, passing castles, convents, and timeless villages. This is a long walking day, with the option to begin at Poreta for a shorter route. Along the way we visit the Eremo Francescano, where a small community of nuns continues a life of prayer and hospitality. Pilgrims are invited into the cave of contemplation, a place linked to Francis’s own retreats in solitude. The day ends in Trevi, among the most beautiful of Umbrian hill towns, celebrated for its olive oil. Before settling in for the evening, we visit the Museum of the Olive to learn how cultivation and craft have shaped both the region and its spirituality.

From Trevi, our path winds through vineyards and olive groves to Foligno, where Francis sold his father’s cloth to fund his emerging ministry—a bold act of detachment that reshaped his life. After a reflective stop in the historic center, we continue to Spello, a walled town of striking medieval character. Here, pilgrims can view the Renaissance frescoes of Pinturicchio in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore—masterpieces that capture the devotional imagination of Francis’s era. Evening in Spello invites quiet exploration and rest amid timeless beauty.

Today’s walk ascends from Spello through olive groves and chestnut woods to the open slopes of Monte Subasio, offering sweeping views over the Spoleto Valley. Near the summit we pause at the Eremo delle Carceri, the forest retreat where Francis and his companions sought solitude and renewal. The path then descends through the Porta Cappuccini, the traditional pilgrim gateway into Assisi. Our journey culminates at the Basilica di San Francesco, where a guided tour reveals the masterful frescoes that narrate the saint’s life. Upon arrival, each participant receives a Testimonium certificate, recognizing their pilgrimage on foot to the birthplace and resting place of St. Francis. Overnight in Assisi.

A full day to explore Assisi, whose layered holiness invites reflection at every turn. Pilgrims may visit San Damiano, where Francis first heard the call to rebuild the church; climb to Rocca Maggiore for sweeping views of the valley; or stop at San Gregorio and Santa Maria degli Angeli, reached by optional van transfer. A study guide supports a self-paced visit through Assisi’s medieval streets and sacred sites.

This day also honors Saint Carlo Acutis, canonized on September 7, 2025, who is buried in the Santuario della Spogliazione in Assisi. A London-born Italian teenager who died of leukemia in 2006, Carlo used his remarkable technical skill to create an online catalog of Eucharistic miracles—expressing an intuitive Franciscan spirituality that wove faith, beauty, and modern communication. His incorrupt body, displayed simply in sneakers and jeans, draws pilgrims from around the world and offers a compelling image of youthful holiness in the digital age.

Today we travel by van through the rolling hills of the Valtiberina, visiting Sansepolcro, the Renaissance town named for pilgrims returning from Jerusalem with relics of the Holy Sepulchre. A guided city tour highlights its art and architecture, linking the Franciscan story to Italy’s wider spiritual and cultural legacy.

From there we continue to the Santuario della Verna, the remote mountaintop retreat where Francis is said to have received the stigmata. Enclosed by ancient beech and birch forests, La Verna’s crags and caves offered the silence Francis longed for—an elemental setting for prayer, struggle, and communion with God. The sanctuary remains a living monastery and place of contemplation, its quiet broken only by bells, wind, and birdsong. Overnight at La Verna.

Our final full day is one of quiet exploration and reflection. We wander the chapels, forests, and mountain trails of La Verna and nearby Monte Penna, absorbing the deep stillness of this landscape so loved by Francis. The day invites unhurried contemplation—a time to let the journey settle inward and to listen for what endures beyond words. In the evening, we gather for a group debrief and closing celebration, sharing insights from the road and from one another. Overnight at Santuario della Verna.

After breakfast, we say our farewells and begin the return to ordinary life—carrying with us the landscapes, stories, and silences of Francis’s Italy. A van transfer to Arezzo offers opportunities to explore its historic center or to connect by train to Florence, Rome, or other destinations. Though the pilgrimage concludes, the inward journey continues, enriched by new companions, deeper insight, and memories of the places that shaped the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi.