Franciscan Path

(Sentiero Francescano della Pace)

The path between Assisi and Gubbio, which everybody recognizes as being emblematically Franciscan, is titled with the name of St. Francis not only because he walked it many times with his friars to go to Verna, but also, perhaps particularly so, because it is the center of a fundamental episode of his youth. When in 1206 he gave back to his father all his earthly possessions to close in this way the Bernardone's judicial calling in front of Bishop Guido, he found himself in a great moment of spiritual exultation and considerable difficulty. Alone and dressed in a type of cloak, he left for Gubbio, a town where he could count on the friendship of Giacomo Spadalonga, to continue with greater intensity his conversion, service to others and material as well as spiritual reconstruction of the church.