Stage 16: Valfabbrica - Assisi

After the long days of walking, of effort and joy, uphill and downhill, the journey to Assisi in the footsteps of St Francis is coming to an end. This leg of the journey requires a final effort in order to tackle the uphill and downhill stretches.

The route starts in the silence of the hills and woods, and then from Pieve San Niccolò the landscape opens up over the valleys with olive groves and vineyards.

The first stretch is in the forest and you will have to tackle a few challenging uphill areas in the woods. This leg of the journey is a compendium of the route covered: uphill and downhill stretches, some quite steep, but the nearness of Assisi brings new energy to your legs. Suddenly, you will notice the harmonious and majestic Sacred Convent and the Basilica of St Francis as one with the city of Assisi. 

This is one of the most beautiful moments of the journey, which foretells the joy of your arrival. Once you reach Assisi on foot, in the locality of Ponte de Galli, there is the lower point of access to the Bosco di San Francesco (Forest of St Francis) of the FAI (Italy's National Trust – make an offer to enter), which you can cross as an alternative to the uphill tarmac road. You enter Assisi from Porta San Giacomo, through which the pilgrims left the town on their way to Santiago de Compostela. 

The majestic façade of the Basilica of St Francis, when lit up by the sun, is the first reward of the journey. The great moment has come: you only need to reach the Saint's tomb. Here, in the soft everlasting light, pilgrims can gather their thoughts in prayer and meditate about the journey they have been on. Next to the entrance to the Lower Basilica, there is the Statio Peregrinorum, where you can collect your well-deserved Testimonium (for those who have travelled 100 km on foot or 200 km by bike) or the Chartula Peregrini, which will allow you to remember your journey forever.