St. Francis Way - Citta di Castello

Descending into the Tiber Valley under a sunny blue sky, I made my way through the town of Santa Fiora and across flat countryside to Fighille. Arriving in the hamlet of Fighille, I left behind the region of Tuscany and entered Umbria. Fighille was the centre for ceramics for many centuries due to its high quality clay deposits.
 

Continuing on, my trail led past meadows and agricultural farms. I was keeping an eye out for their famous fruit, the tomato. There is nothing more tasty than an Italian grown, ripe tomato, picked straight off the vine. Full of flavour in its ripe red colour, the tomato is a very important part of the Italian cuisine. Do you ever wonder why they are so deeply flavoured? It's simply because they are locally grown and allowed to ripen on the vine as opposed to other parts of the world where they are picked whilst still green in order to facilitate distribution. That has me thinking of a caprese salad, deliciously layered tomato and Italian mozzarella cheese topped with fresh sweet basil and seasoned with salt and olive oil.

Anyway, I hiked up into the medieval village of Citerna. Located at the top of a flat-topped hill and built on a motte with a fortified wall around the centre, the village was a recipient of the "Borghi più Belli d'Italia" (most beautiful village in Italy) award. Much of its beauty is steeped in the stone buildings, the city gates and medieval arcaded passageway along with the uninterrupted views of the meadows and woodlands below.

What goes up must go down and so down the hill I went again, winding around a country road, hiking around the edges of the mountains in the Tiber Valley into Citta di Castello, the largest town in Umbria. Located on the slopes of the Appenine Mountains near the Tiber River, the town was founded by an ancient Umbri circa 3rdC BC. It serves as the main economic centre in the region.

Housed in a Renaissance palace that was converted into a gallery is a vast collection of paintings and arts and considered as one of the main public art galleries in Italy. The gallery documents works from 13th to 20th centuries with a particular focus on the Renaissance period and Raphael's early works. The two facades of the "Standard of the Holiest Trinity" hanging in the gallery are considered as Raphael's first work.

One of the oldest paintings is a gilded 13thC panel with the enthroned Madonna and Child made by an anonymous painter of medieval art. Since he was never identified, he was named Master of Citta di Castello.

The palace itself was built mid-16thC as a wedding gift. Facing the garden the palace was famous throughout Europe for its collection of exotic plants. In 1907 the palace was acquired by a local artist who restored it and donated it five years later to the city to house the Municipal Art Gallery.



PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures

The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

St. Francis Way - Anghiari

The trail continues weaving through mountains and forests passing a few isolated buildings to the mountain village of Badia Prataglia. The village is located within the Foreste Casentinesi, a national park that stretches out over 37,000 hectares. It has more than 600km of trail paths and 20 mountain biking routes. The area can also be explored on horseback, whilst in the winter it is open for cross-country skiing. In the village is a mid-19thC arboretum that was originally established for Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The arboretum has a museum that also includes the Duke's former villa.

Skirting around the small village of Rimbocchi (1,640ft/500m), I am back in the woods admiring the tall trees, densely packed as I gently climb up to La Verna (3,937ft/1,200m) to visit the Franciscan sanctuary where St Francis is said to have received the stigmata in 1224. The sanctuary is home to several churches, chapels and a monastery. The site was taken under papal protection in 1260. The main church took over a century to complete from 1348 to 1459. The monastery was partially destroyed in the 15thC, suffering desecration during the war of this time and it took three centuries to be fully restored. The friars suffered further in 1810 and 1866 when they were expelled from the monastery as part of suppressing religious orders.

The sanctuary is nestled within a spruce-beech forest with specimens as tall as 160ft (50m) and some with diameters up to 5.9ft (180cm). The forest floor teems with wildlife such as deer, boar and wolf, whilst above one can find eagles, owls and peregrine falcons.

Leaving the sanctuary, I descended through fields and farmlands to Caprese Michelangelo (1,969ft/600m), a small commune where Michelangelo, a Renaissance era painter, sculptor and architect was born in 1475. Michelangelo was baptised in the village's church, St John de Baptist and a museum in his honour has been established inside a fortress. The aim of the museum is to document his body of works with plaster casts. The collection also includes sculptures and paintings donated by artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The terrain steadies a little with gentle undulations until I reached Anghiari, a sprawled out, hilltop town overlooking the Tiber Valley. The town centre, however, is a fortified collection of stone buildings and labyrinth-like narrow streets. In this compact location are a handful of museums including the Battle of Anghiari Museum. The battle was a 1440 event between the Republic of Florence and Duchy of Milan. The battle, comprising of thousands of foot soldiers and knights took only one day and according to Machiavelli it resulted in only one death of an unfortunate knight who fell off his horse and drowned in a swamp. The battle ended with the Florentines winning and securing their domination over central Italy. Leonardo da Vinci depicted a painting of the battle which has since been lost. Fortunately copies existed inspiring Paul Rubens to sketch a replica of the original.

The terrace in the town centre with its fortified wall was a perfect place to indulge in some Tuscan food, overlooking the landscape and residential homes. My starter was bruschetta which was a slice of Tuscan bread generously rubbed with garlic, lavishly drizzled with green olive oil and lightly sprinkled with salt (at home I might have chopped up some tomatoes and added it to the mix). This was followed by a hearty slow-cooked stew called "spezattino" and finished it with a scrumptious sugar-coated, fried doughnut known as "bomboloni". No meal experience is ever complete without a café macchiato.

PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures



The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

St. Francis Way - Eremo Di Camaldoli

Leaving Florence through the San Gallo Gate, the trail veered east over gentle hills, past the small hamlet of Compiobbi, along the river bank of Arno River to Pontassieve. This ancient walled commune was originally named Castel Sant'Angelo later changing it to be named after the 16thC bridge over the Sieve River. Pontassieve suffered severely during WWII, as the Allies heavily bombed the village, destroying it almost entirely. The current appearance is largely a result of post-war reconstruction, although it continues to maintain a medieval look in the city centre.

From Pontassieve I climbed through Chianti vineyards up to the village of Diacceto. The Chianti recipe was first created in the middle of the 19thC by Baron Bettino Ricasoli when he combined Sangiovese grapes with Canaiolo and Malvasia bianca grapes. Historically the wine was closely associated with a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket but has since shifted to regular bottling.

Heading into the mountains, I hiked uphill through the small villages of Ferrano and Consuma, reaching the first mountain pass called Passo Della Consuma at an elevation of 3,445ft (1,050m). I weaved my way around the mountain at this altitude until I reached the village of Campolombardo where I began my descent into the pretty village of Stia (1,476ft/450m). In the 19thC woolen fabric was produced in Stia to clothe monks and nuns in the area at first and later the wealthy families of Tuscany. The largest wool mill was built in 1838 and employed 500+ people. The factory produced 2.3 million feet (700,000m) of cloth per year until it ceased production in the 1990s. In 2010 it was opened as a museum of wool production.

I took this opportunity to have lunch at a local restaurant indulging my senses with crepes filled with melted pecorino and leeks as an appetizer followed by spaghetti alla chittara topped with scallops and zucchini and washing it down with a glass of chianti.

Refreshed and a full belly, I gently began my ascent to Sacro Eremo Di Camaldoli (3,937ft/1,200m), a monastery and hermitage surrounded by dense fir forests in the heart of the Camaldoli National Park.

Camaldoli is a community of Benedictine monks that was founded by San Romualdo, a 10thC nobleman turned monk. San Romualdo was born into aristocracy and lived an indulgent life until he witnessed his father kill a relative over property. Devastated he did 40 days of penance and continuing to struggling with the situation decided to become a monk and live in seclusion spending the next ten years studying monasticism. With his new found knowledge he spent the next 30 years travelling through Italy building monasteries and hermitages such as the Camaldoli.

The Camaldoli is made of two houses, the Sacred Hermitage and the Monastery. They "represent two fundamental dimensions of the monastic experience, solitude and communion". Where the hermitage is a place of solitude, silence, prayer and work; the monastery is a place of fraternal life and community. The monastery welcomes visitors to share in their faith through hospitality. The monastery also has a guesthouse called Foresteria which is open for cultural and spiritual retreats and events.

PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures



The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

St Francis Way - Florence

The romantic city of Florence is a visual feast of Renaissance architecture, art and monuments. Famous historical figures from the Renaissance era (14th-17thC) such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo and Donatello, emerged from Florence producing and leaving an incredible body of work that continues to move and inspire people today. Museums, galleries, cafes and restaurants are in every nook and cranny. And then, there's the food; gloriously filling, tastebud dazzling, tantalisingly aromatic. Every corner is an architectural experience from Corinthian columns, grand domes and endless arches to interiors adorned with richly-detailed frescoes and motifs.

Filled with 2,000+ years of history, Florence began as a settlement in 59BC, established by Julius Caesar, the Roman Emperor for his veteran soldiers. It quickly became a commercial centre and a major crossroad between Bologna and Rome. Florence is currently the capital city of Tuscany with the highest population density in the region. In 1982 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The most iconic building is the cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, otherwise known as the Duomo. Built between 1296-1436 in a Gothic style it towers over the city with its terracotta-tile dome visible from all of the nearby hilltops. The Piazzale Michelangelo across the river from the cathedral provides a magnificent view of the city of Florence and the Duomo.

A stroll alongside the River Arno leads to the very popular Ponte Vecchio, translated as "Old Bridge". The bridge is a medieval arched bridge built in 1345 and at one time housed shops run by butchers, tanners and farmers. Now it is tenanted primarily by jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. During WWII, at the behest of German officer, Gerhard Wolf, the bridge was spared destruction unlike the neighbouring bridges which were detonated in order to buy more time for the German retreat. Wolf was once a student in Florence and had a special affinity towards the bridge. The Florentine's made him an honorary citizen in 1955 and placed a plaque on the bridge in his honour in 2007.

Some notable artworks that can be found in Florence are Michelangelo's sculpture of "David", a marble sculpture completed early 16thC; Leonardo da Vinci's oil and tempera painting "Anunciation" dating late 15thC; and Boticelli's tempera painting "The Birth of Venus" dating late 15thC. There is no shortage of paintings, sculptures, fountains or architecture to immerse oneself in but when rest is needed head for the nearest coffee bar and ask for a café macchiato. Italians traditionally stand at a bar to have their shot of coffee instead of sitting at a table before pressing on with their day.

The Way of St Francis pilgrimage begins at the Basilica di Santa Croce, a 13thC Franciscan church located in the Piazza Santa Croce. The church is the burial site for Galileo (astronomer), Machiavelli (politician and diplomat) and Rossini (composer) and many other notable Italians. Dante was originally buried here but was later moved. His tomb, however, remains on site. A memorial plaque for Da Vinci (polymath) and memorial monument for Florence Nightingale (pioneer of modern nursing) can also be found here. Outside the church is a monument to classical writer, Dante Alighieri, built in 1865 by Enrico Pazzi.

The pilgrimage trail is 312mi (550km) long and inspired by the life of St Francis of Assisi. Taking an ancient Roman route from Florence to Rome via Assisi, the trail finishes at Basilica di San Pietro in the Vatican City. The route travels past ancient ruins, through medieval villages, crossing mountain passes and valleys, making this pilgrimage perfect for nature lovers, history buffs and outdoor enthusiasts.

PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures



The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

Road to Hana - Alelele Falls Viewpoint

Crossing the bridge at Oheo Gulch, a series of tiered pools can be seen from the roadside that make up the area known as The Pools of Oheo. Palikea Stream flows through the gulch creating a succession of waterfalls that cascade from one pool to the next, before travelling beneath the bridge and pouring into the ocean. The pools are a tranquil and peaceful swimming area, except during heavy rains when they are prone to flash flooding and become a safety hazard.

The pools are also informally referred to as the Seven Sacred Pools, a term coined in the 1940s by a local businessman who wanted to draw more tourists to Hana and its surrounds. The marketing worked since visitors to the area increased, bringing new concerns that the land and its natural pools would eventually be lost to commercial development and become inaccessible to the public. To alleviate this concern a parcel of land was purchased and donated to the district for safekeeping. In 1969 it was incorporated into the Haleakalā National Park, remaining a publicly usable space in perpetuity.

The nearby Pipiwai Trail is a 4mi loop that leads through a dense bamboo forest, past a huge banyan tree and the 185ft (56m) Makahiku Falls. The trail ends amongst dense jungle at one of Maui’s tallest waterfalls, the 400ft (121m) Waimoku Falls.

Returning to the highway and a short distance away in a churchyard is the final resting place of Charles Lindbergh who in 1927 shot to fame as the first solo person to fly nonstop across the Atlantic from New York to Paris covering 3,600mi (5,800km) in 33.5 hours. His feat was a turning point in aviation development and advancement. In the latter part of his life, Lindbergh became a conservationist particularly concerned about the impact new technologies had on the Hawaiian people and their environment. As such he helped Laurence Rockefeller establish the Haleakala National Park that includes The Pools of Oheo.

Having arrived at the last bridge, known as Alelele Bridge, I took a short hike inland to the last waterfall on this journey, the Alelele Falls and its 40ft (12m) drop over black lava rock formations. The small pool was cool and refreshing for a final dip. I reached the end of my travels at Alelele Falls Viewpoint, a small roadside pull-out with views of Maui’s east coast and narrow winding highway. Here I completed my 64mi (103km) Road to Hana journey.



PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures



The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events