The Cammino Francescano della Marca: From Assisi to Ascoli Piceno
A spiritual walk linking Assisi, in Umbria, to Ascoli Piceno, in the Marche, in the footsteps of Saint Francis between Apennine and Piceno villages. Still little walked compared with the great Franciscan itineraries, it offers days of silence among mountains, valleys and compact towns.
Foto: Mongolo1984 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons
Among the walks that retrace the footsteps of Saint Francis, the one through the Marca is one of the least known and, for that very reason, among the most fascinating. It links Assisi, the heart of Franciscanism in Umbria, to Ascoli Piceno, a splendid travertine city in the south of the Marche, following a route that tradition ties to the saint's journeys towards the Adriatic. While other Franciscan itineraries draw growing numbers of pilgrims, here you often walk in solitude, crossing an authentic Apennine and villages that mass tourism has left untouched.
The departure from Assisi carries a strong symbolic value: the basilica of San Francesco, the Porziuncola, the places of the saint's life accompany the first steps before the walk moves into the Umbrian countryside. The route crosses the Apennine watershed and passes into the Marche, descending towards the valleys of the Piceno. Along the way you come across Franciscan sanctuaries and friaries, secluded hermitages and country churches, but also perched medieval villages that guard churches, walls and squares that have stayed outside the great circuits. You cross landscapes that keep changing: the woods and pastures of the high Apennine, the cultivated basins, the badlands and finally the hills sloping down towards the sea.
Ascoli Piceno
The destination is Ascoli Piceno, one of the most beautiful and least celebrated cities of art in central Italy, built almost entirely of pale travertine. Its Piazza del Popolo, with the church of San Francesco and the arcaded palaces, is one of the most harmonious Renaissance drawing rooms of the peninsula, and arriving there on foot after days in the mountains is a finale of rare intensity. Along the whole route the hospitality has the traditional flavour of the Franciscan walks: friaries, parishes and small facilities welcome pilgrims with simplicity, and in the villages the trattorias serve the robust cuisine of the interior, from olive ascolane to mountain dishes.
Getting there
To organise yourself, Assisi is reachable by train via the Assisi-Santa Maria degli Angeli station, well connected to the Umbrian railway network. Ascoli Piceno has its own station, convenient for the return at the end of the walk. The intermediate points in the Apennine are served by line buses, useful if needed, but with infrequent services that are best checked in advance. The walk is designed to be covered on foot over several days, with daily stages and a backpack, sleeping from one point to the next in the places of hospitality along the route. Getting hold of a route guide and the GPS tracks in advance is invaluable, because you cross isolated areas.
When to go
The best time runs from May to June and then September. In late spring the Apennine is green and in bloom, the mountain passes are free of snow and the long days let you tackle the stages with a margin of time; September offers pleasant temperatures, clear air and the first autumn colours on the slopes. These months allow you to avoid both the summer heat of the valleys and the risk of snow and bad weather that in winter makes the higher stretches impassable. As for crowds, there simply are none: the Cammino Francescano della Marca remains a niche itinerary, and even in the most favourable months you meet very few other pilgrims, which makes it perfect for those seeking silence and reflection.
Practical tips
A practical tip: some stages cross long mountain areas with no services, so plan water, food and overnight stops carefully, booking accommodation in advance where necessary. Check the trail conditions before setting off, especially early in the season, because some Apennine stretches may be snowbound or damaged. Equip yourself with layered clothing, because at altitude temperatures change quickly even in spring and summer, and always keep a paper map with you alongside the GPS. Finally, give yourself the time to stop in the villages and hermitages along the way: it is in these quiet places, more than in the famous destinations, that the walk reveals its deepest spirit.
Practical guides
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Cammino Francescano della Marca?
The recommended time is May, June and September, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Cammino Francescano della Marca?
The Cammino Francescano della Marca is located in Umbria-Marche.
