Difficulty: E           
Distance: 23 km    
Height difference: + 760 m     
Duration: 8h (excluding breaks)    
Starting point: Porta Cappuccini - Assisi 
Number of Stages: 1    
Suitable for families: No
Activities to do: birdwatching - canyoning with guides

A magnificent stage that retraces some strongly 'Franciscan' places. As the sources attest, St Francis passed through here on his last journey, accompanied by the Knights of Assisi, a month before his death in September 1226. Lots of paths, beautiful woods, panoramic views: that is what this stage will give us.

We set off from Porta Cappuccini along path 350-351 and then follow the signs for Fonte Maddalena - path 351 until we reach Costa di Trex. From here we continue to Fosso Marchetto and near Ponte Marchetto and Ponte Cavaliero (wonderful medieval structures) we can admire the spectacular Forra di Fosso Marchetto.

Continue along path 351, which, in about three kilometres, leads to the vicinity of the Church of Satriano, where every year on the first Sunday of September a celebration - the Satriano Ride - commemorates the journey of the dying Francis, who was escorted back to Assisi with the help of soldiers on horseback. We continue along a path, climbing to Passo il Termine, to descend again to meet the wide unpaved road that, to the right, leads to the Rocca di Postignano. Situated on a sharp hill, the construction was built by the Counts of Postignano in the 10th century, but today only ruins unfortunately remain of the imposing original structure. From the Rocca, descend to the village of Villa di Postignano by cutting two wide hairpin bends, then take the tarmac road to Nocera Scalo. A further walk of about four kilometres takes you to the centre of Nocera Umbra. The return to Assisi can be planned by train or bus.