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At Foligno, pilgrims coming from Rome could leave the Via Flaminia and either continue directly to Loreto or divert toward Perugia to visit the sites of San Francesco and Santa Chiara in Assisi.
The usual route was via Arezzo, connecting Florence to Foligno and then to Rome. Near Assisi, pilgrims would find the postal station of Santa Maria degli Angeli, close to the basilica housing the Porziuncola chapel. Here, San Francesco settled in 1205 and founded the Order of Frati Minori in 1208. The route led to Rivotorto, home to the sanctuary that protects the Francescano ‘hut,’ where the saint took refuge in 1208 with Bernardo da Quintavalle and Pietro di Catanio and wrote the first draft of the Rule. In the village of Santa Maria degli Angeli, at the foot of the "Città di Francesco" , the square welcomed pilgrims on their way to the Basilica, where San Francesco passed away on October 3, 1226.
After visiting Assisi, pilgrims who intended to head to Loreto would take the road toward Spello, which was part of the route from Florence to Rome.
