Читать книгу The Way of St Francis. Via di Francesco: From Florence to Assisi and Rome онлайн

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The walk from Florence to Santuario della Verna reverses that progression, as pilgrims walk back in time from the Renaissance into the medieval world of faith. This six-day part of the Way of St Francis carries the walker from the marble statues and frescoed vaults of Florence to remote mountain retreats where centuries earlier reclusive monks, nuns and friars tamed their inner demons to find union with their Creator. The goal, Santuario della Verna, is a mountaintop retreat held dear by St Francis, who loved it for its seclusion.

In Stage 2 comes the moment of transition: turning away from the cultivated vineyards and olive groves of the Arno River Valley at Diacceto, the path takes the pilgrim directly ahead into the deep forests of the looming Central Apennine mountain range. The cultured walls of Renaissance Florence fade into memory as the pilgrim meets the friendly solitude of nature, so prized by mystics.

The route, sometimes wild and untamed, climbs up mountains and down into valleys, all within the drainage of the Arno and its tributaries. After Pontassieve the settlements are mostly mountain hamlets, with Stia and its neighbor, Pratovecchio, the largest towns. From Consuma onward each village on the itinerary serves in some form as a gateway to the vast Casentino National Park and Forest, whose 826 square kilometers of forests and mountains are carefully managed by the Italian government. These rugged woodlands are home to diverse plants and wildlife, including deer, wolves and wild boar. Since this section of trail has only recently become official, waymarks can be spotty and trails poorly maintained.