Franziskusweg

View of Assisi from the north

Numerous pilgrimage routes or hiking trails are referred to as the Franziskusweg , all of which are related to St. Francis of Assisi . Alternative names are " Sonnengesangsweg ", "Franziskanischer Weg" or "Schöpfungsweg". For 2017, 49 paths in German-speaking countries are listed by an initiative group "Franziskuswege". These paths either take up aspects of the spirituality of Francis of Assisi or they connect actual whereabouts of Francis. The best known and most important of these trails is the St. Francis Trail in central Italy. In contrast to the Way of St. James , the goal is not the grave of the eponym, but rather to visit places that had or have to do with him. As a result, there is not a clearly defined St. Francis path, but several variants in many places. Common places are always La Verna in Tuscany , Gubbio , of course Assisi as the place of birth and burial place, the Rietital and finally Rome as the destination of his various visits to the Pope .

A selection of St. Francis Ways

The Franziskusweg in the Reintal in South Tyrol

Francis Cross in Taufers

The Franziskusweg starts in Winkl ( Kematen fraction of the municipality of Sand in Taufers ) and leads past the Reiner waterfalls through one of the most beautiful natural landscapes of the Tauferer Valley to the Franz and Klara chapel. On the one-hour hike, you will pass ten points of reflection, corresponding to the ten stanzas of St. Francis' song of the sun . The path was founded around 1990 by Leo Munter, the dean of Taufers at the time . The dilapidated Franz and Klara chapel was rebuilt, making it a popular place of pilgrimage and excursion for many . Just a few years later, an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 pilgrims were taking this route every year . As a result, further paths of reflection on various religious topics emerged in South Tyrol . In the German-speaking area in particular, a large number of St. Francis paths are being built. The Tauferer Franziskusweg is known as the "primeval path" of these paths.

The Franziskusweg around the Thuringian hut in the Rhön

The origin of the trail was inspired by the Franziskusweg in the Reintal, a side valley of the Tauferer-Ahrntal in South Tyrol. On a private initiative, with the support of the Diocese of Würzburg , the district of Rhön-Grabfeld , the district of Lower Franconia and numerous companies and private individuals, the Franziskusweg was opened in May 2007. The sponsor is a "Freundeskreis Franziskusweg eV" whose task is to maintain and promote it, as well as to enliven the Franziskusweg by organizing spiritual tours and events. The Franziskusweg begins at the parking lot below the youth center / school camp Thüringer Hütte . It is best to walk it clockwise towards Rother Kuppe with a visit to the individual stations and end in the chapel. The circular route has a total length of approx. 5 kilometers and comprises 17 stations, 10 art and 7 reading stations. It runs on existing forest and hiking trails with a height difference of approx. 65 m. Red signposts with the Τ, the Franciscan rope , mark the way.

The St. Francis pilgrimage route in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

The Catholic parish church of St. Clemens in Eschenlohe

The pilgrimage of St. Francis of Assisi starts at the parish church of St. Clemens in Eschenlohe and ends at the Franciscan monastery of St. Anton in Partenkirchen . The main focus of the path is to experience God's creation in all its diversity. There is also information about biodiversity - the diversity of life - and the history of the places at individual way stations . The main path over the "Seven Sources" has a length of 16 km. An alternative route leads along the Loisach with 15.5 km. Part of the route runs on the Via Romea , an ancient pilgrimage and trade route to Rome . The carrier of the path is the Catholic district education organization Garmisch-Partenkirchen e. V.

Path of reflection in Aurach / Middle Franconia

The new Catholic pilgrimage and subsidiary church Mater Dolorosa von Windshofen, built in 1855

The Aurach Reflection Path consists of two parts. It offers instructions for personal experience of meaning and nature. The "Sonnengesang" path in the south runs through a lovely open landscape. Its nine stations are based on the Canticle of the Sun by St. Francis of Assisi. The route length is 6.5 km. The beginning with the parking lot is at the Mater dolorosa chapel in Windshofen . The "Sinneslust" path in the north meanders through a forest area with nine stations for the sensory experience. The route length is 3.5 km. The start is near the cemetery in Aurach. The Aurach Reflection Trail is a project of the Aurach municipality, the AGIL municipal alliance and the Middle Franconia Landscape Management Association (LPV). In 2008, the path of reflection was set up and expanded in its current form under the leadership of the Middle Franconia Landscape Management Association.

The Francis way from Florence to Rome

Tau-Kreuz - the Franciscan identification mark as a waymarking

The St. Francis Way in Italy , also known as Via Francigena di San Francesco or Cammino di Francesco , is a 520 kilometer hiking trail inspired by the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The Franziskusweg leads on an old Roman road from Florence to Rome in the footsteps of St. Francis through a varied landscape, past important Franciscan sites such as the sanctuary of La Verna , Assisi and the Rieti Valley . The Franziskusweg is a combination or series of many shorter pilgrimages to some of the Franciscan shrines along the way.

The markings for the Franziskusweg vary. On the first section from Florence to Sansepolcro there are mainly red and white hiking markings. From Sansepolcro there are horizontally yellow and blue striped signs with a yellow rope cross . On presentation of a pilgrimage pass, which was stamped on the way, a certificate, the "Assisiana", will be issued in Assisi.

The following description is based on the modern route proposed by Susanne and Walter Elsner. Its aim is to touch as many of the historic St. Francis places as possible on the route from Florence via Assisi to Rome.

No.	Starting point - destination	Altitude difference ↑ in m	Altitude difference ↓ in m	Distance in km	Places related to the life story of Francis
1	Florence - Pontassieve	660	640	21.6	Santa Croce in Florence stands roughly at the point where Francis and some companions built a chapel and small huts in 1217
2	Pontassieve - Consuma	1070	160	17.5	After his trip to the Middle East in 1219, Francis probably crossed the Consuma pass on his way from Florence to Camaldoli
3	Consuma - Stia	400	940	15.0
4th	Stia - Camaldoli	980	600	15.9	The hermitage of Camaldoli was the home of Francis after his trip to the Middle East in 1220
5	Camaldoli - Biforco	1000	1150	18.0
6th	Biforco - La Verna	700	240	7.3	In 1213 Francis received Mount La Verna as a gift from Count Orlando Catani von Chiusi. From 1214, Francis visited the place regularly and prayed in the rocky landscape of Sasso Spicco
7th	La Verna - Caprese Michelangelo	620	1130	17.5	At the Eremo della Casella, the terminally ill Francis is said to have tearfully said goodbye to his favorite place La Verna
8th	Caprese Michelangelo - Sansepolcro	360	650	25.3
9	Sansepolcro - Città di Castello	750	800	26.8	There was a castle and a hospice near Monecasale. This complex was given to Francis in 1213 by the Bishop of Città di Castello. He is said to have stayed there several times. The legend that Francis converted three robbers through his generosity is also located there
10	Città di Castello - Pietralunga	970	680	30.3
11	Pietralunga - Gubbio	750	820	26.2	Gubbio is connected to the legend that Francis tamed a wolf here in 1222, which had previously threatened the inhabitants
12	Gubbio - Val di Chiascio	330	360	16.3	Relation to the life story of Francis
13	Val di Chiascio - Valfabbrica	430	600	19.4	At the Chiesa di Caprignone the first general chapter of the Franciscan order outside of Assisi took place in 1223
14th	Valfabbrica - Assisi	530	400	14.8	Place of birth and death of Francis with numerous sights
15th	Assisi - Foligno	200	400	21.6	Portiuncula Chapel in Santa Maria degli Angeli; in Rivotorto: place of the first community around Francis. In Foligno, Francis sold fabrics from his father's shop, which u. a. led to his disinheritance
16	Foligno - Pissignano	470	470	18.8	A conversion vision of Francis on the way to the crusade is located in San Sabino
17th	Pissignano - Monteluco di Spoleto	640	100	19.1	In Monteluco, in 1218, Francis received the St. Catherine's Church from the Benedictines there as a place of residence. Möchns cells built from willow are still visible
18th	Monteluco di Spoleto - Perchia	580	900	16.7
19th	Perchia - Romita di Cesi	800	490	18.4	In 1213, Francis founded a monastery in Romita di Cesi
20th	Romita di Cesi - Terni	190	820	17.5	Tradition has it that Francis preached in Terni
21st	Terni - Piediluco	620	370	16.7	Francis often stayed - in any case in 1208 - in Piediluco
22nd	Piediluco - Poggio Bustone	970	560	20.2	Francis stayed in the caves at Poggio Bustone several times - for the first time in 1209
23	Poggio Bustone - Rieti	360	750	17.1	Francis was in Rieti more often. In the bishop's palace he healed a sick girl and recited the verse of reconciliation from the Canticle of the Sun to divided city parties
24	Rieti - Greccio	900	600	21.9	In Fontecolombo, Francis wrote the final rule of the order in 1223. After his visit to Palestine, he had an eye condition treating him unsuccessfully with a red-hot iron.
25th	Greccio - Stroncone	380	640	14.4	At the place where the Santuario di Greccio stands today, Francis celebrated Christmas in 1223 with the first nativity scene. The monastery of San Francesco in Stroncone was founded by Francis himself in 1213
26th	Stroncone - Calvi dell'Umbria	1000	1000	21.3	From 1213, Francis repeatedly used the hermitage Sacro Speco as a retreat for prayer and meditation. For example, Francis is said to have drawn water from a well that turned into wine. It is proven that in 1213 Francis preached in Calvi dell'Umbria
27	Calvi dell'Umbria - Selci	400	600	19.7
28	Selci - Farfa	450	450	19.7
29	Farfa - Montelibretti	530	530	14.4
30th	Montelibretti - Mentana	250	340	17.1
31	Mentana - Rome	310	450	31.7	The Statua di San Francesco on the square in front of San Giovanni in Laterano commemorates the journey of Francis to Pope Innocent III. in 1210 to confirm the way of life of the young community

Picture gallery

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  Santa Croce Basilica in Florence

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  Santuario della Verna

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  View of Citerna

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  View of Valfabbrica

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  Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi

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  Assisi - view from the valley

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  View of Ceselli

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  Map with route options to Rieti

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  Santuario di Poggio Bustone

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  Entrance to the Santuario di Poggio Bustone

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  Santuario di Greccio

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  Francis of Assisi sleeps in Greccio

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  Entrance to the Santuario di Fonte Colombo

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  Ponticelli di Scandriglia

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  Historic center of Nerola

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  Monterotondo Cathedral

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  Lateran Basilica in Rome

Virtual inspection

With the two-part navigation bar Franziskusweg , which is located at the end of the local article, the virtual ascent of this pilgrimage is possible. In addition to the link to the previous and the following place - the following example shows the start and end points - the bar contains a fold-out overview of all places in the actual order in the direction of Rome.

Navigation bar " Franziskusweg "

← Previous location: Florence  | Franziskusweg  | Next place: Rome  →

 

literature

• Susanne and Walter Elsner: Franziskusweg . (= Rother hiking guide, 2nd updated edition 2019). Bergverlag Rother, Munich, ISBN 978-3-7633-4523-6 .
• Simone and Anton Ochsenkühn: Franziskusweg pilgrim guide . amac-Buchverlag, Obergriesbach, 2007, ISBN 978-3-9543-1055-5 .
• Kees Rodenburg: Italy: Franziskusweg from Florence to Rome . (= OutdoorHandbuch 186, 6th updated edition 2017). Conrad Stein Verlag, Welver, ISBN 978-3-86686-574-7 .
• Martin Engelmann, Anna-Maria Stiefmüller: On foot to Rome . Tyrolia Verlag Innsbruck, 2015, ISBN 978-3-7022-3425-6 .
• Angela Maria Seracchioli: The St. Francis path from La Verna via Gubbio and Assisi to Rieti . Tyrolia Verlag Innsbruck, 2nd updated edition 2010, ISBN 978-3-7022-2825-5 .

See also

• Francis of Assisi
• Clare of Assisi
• Franciscan Order
• Franciscan (OFM)

Web links

Commons : Franziskusweg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Initiative group Franziskuswege . The site offers an overview of the existing St. Francis Ways.
• Inter-Franciscan Working Group . Here, too, you can find out about various St. Francis Ways in Germany, Austria, South Tyrol and Luxembourg.
• The Franziskusweg around the Thuringian hut in the Rhön
• The St. Francis pilgrimage route in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
• The Tauferer Franziskusweg
• Reflection path Aurach

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Directory of the St. Francis Ways known to us, paths of reflection, paths of creation and meditation paths for the Canticle of St. Francis of Assisi (as of February 2017, created by Klaus Köhle, Aalen) . Website of an initiative group Franziskuswege. Retrieved December 6, 2019
2. ^ The Tauferer Franziskusweg website of the Tauferer Franziskusweg association. Retrieved December 6, 2019
3. ↑ The Franziskusweg around the Thüringer Hütte in the Rhön website of the Freundeskreis Franziskusweg eV Accessed on December 6, 2019
4. ^ The Franziskus-Pilgerweg in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Website of the Catholic district education organization Garmisch-Partenkirchen e. V. Accessed December 6, 2019
5. ↑ Contemplation Path Aurach Retrieved December 6, 2019
6. ^ Susanne and Walter Elsner: Franziskusweg .