Beginning at Badia Prataglia and walking to Santuario della Verna is one of the hardest stages of the Via di Francesco and in our opinion its also the third most beautiful.
A tough climb, then a fairytale forest, then one of Italy’s most revered holy places
Click to see the fourth most gorgeous stage on the Via di Francesco, the fifth, and the sixth.
The day begins in the forest resort town of Badia Prataglia and then heads through true forested wilderness trails up on three (count ’em) three major climbs. After the last climb, you cross the country highway and walk through a fairytale forest of birch trees, a pristine area of mossy rocks and filtered sunlight. See the first buildings above the trail on a rock promontory and then arrive at one of Italy’s most revered and holy places, the Franciscan sanctuary at La Verna. It is home to important relics of St Francis, to some ancient churches and chapels (Chapel of the Stigmata, the cell of St Anthony of Padua and more), to some important artworks (from the shop of Andrea della Robbia), and most importantly, a cloud of peace and calm always surrounds it. No one comes to La Verna without being humbled by its beauty and simplicity, and if you haven’t been, you’ve missed a gem.
