Routes
DISCOVERING THE PLACES OF ST. FRANCIS
During his pilgrimage from and to La Verna, St. Francis walked across the Tuscan Tiber Valley several times. Retracing these routes is like reliving the Saint’s life, finding the intimacy of a life made up of simple things. You can start from the Locanda towards Caprese Michelangelo and then follow the indications for La Verna, the rocky peak chosen by the Saint as a place to pray. Along the way, on the ridge of the Alpe di Catenaia, you can visit the Eremo della Casella, where the Saint stopped to pray when he was close to death. Going towards Pieve Santo Stefano, there is the Eremo di Cerbaiolo, old Benedictine hermitage. The last Franciscan stop is the Eremo di Montecasale, center of the Franciscan spirituality in the territory of the Tiber Valley, situated on the way from Pieve Santo Stefano to Sansepolcro. On your way back to the Locanda del Viandante, it is still possible to visit one more Franciscan place: following the directions for Tavernelle, you can reach the Montauto Castle, where Francis has been often hosted by the Count Alberto. The sackcloth St. Francis gave him as a gift is now preserved at the La Verna Sanctuary.
THE LAND OF PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA
Piero della Francesca’s works represent the main artistic and cultural treasure of the Tuscan Tiber Valley: the master, born in Sansepolcro, realized in his native town, in Monterchi and in the nearby Arezzo some of his most famous masterpieces. The route starts from the Locanda and goes on towards Arezzo: inside the St. Francis Basilica the master painted a series of frescoes representing The legend of the True Cross and inside the city Cathedral where you can see his Magdalene. The next stop on the way back is Monterchi where you can find the famous fresco of The Pregnant Lady (Madonna del Parto), which represents the pregnant Virgin who keeps her hand in her own belly. The next step is Piero della Francesca’s native town: Sansepolcro, where you can admire his masterpiece The Resurrection with the Risen Christ standing on the sarcophagus with a banner in its hand. You can see more Piero della Francesca's works inside the Civic Museum: the Polyptich of the Misericordia, the Saint Julian and the Saint Louis from Toulouse. To admire more works by Piero you can reach other cities in a short time: Rimini, Urbino and Perugia. This large territory is the landscape painted by Piero, this beautiful corner of the Tuscan countryside.
