Welcome to the land of olives and medieval hill towns. The region of Umbria is gorgeous. I don’t think that I could possibly tire of walking through olive groves or viewing the hillsides from above. I could, perhaps, get a bit worn out from having to climb the steep paths to those mountain top towns, though.
Spello to Foligno to Trevi
It was difficult to leave my cozy apartment in the whimsical town of Spello, but I grudgingly managed to strap on my pack. As par for the course of the pilgrimage, a drenching rain commenced only a block from my starting point. Every morning and evening, I read the weather forecast to plan accordingly. Apparently, this spring has been unusually wet for Italy. It seems the locals have been just as surprised by the sudden rainstorms as I have been.
When you “gotta go”
Only 4 miles into my journey, I entered Foligno. My first task was to find a toilette. I have not yet mentioned the topic of bathrooms, except for my revelation about bidet usage posted on social media. Hiking on city streets and public(ish) roadways makes it quite difficult to stop for a pee break. (Some of you are probably cringing at the direction this is going, but I promise to be polite). In the woods, it is easy to bop behind a tree, do your thing, clean up and move on.
To respect nature when “going in the woods”, we need to follow the Leave No Trace principles, which includes not leaving TP/wipes “hidden” under a rock or chucked onto the ground. Hikers can either pack the tissue out or use a Pee Rag. Technically, there is a third option – the drip dry (I couldn’t avoid at least one cringy comment, right?) Public toileting and trespassing on private property are not cool, no matter what country you are hiking. Hence my challenge walking from Spello to Foligno.
I stopped at the very first place with a possible bathroom. It struck me as the Sheetz/Wawa of Foligno. I nodded to and “ciao”ed the people in the station, found the toilette and then refilled with a freshly squeezed OJ and espresso, the culprits of my earlier misery. But this time, I knew that I had about 3 miles through the city and then plenty of trail to my next location.
Saint Francis in Foligno
I walked through the city, expecting similar architecture to Assisi. This assumption came from my only knowledge of Foligno. Saint Francis, the son of a fabric merchant, traveled to the market town of Foligno with a load of expensive cloth. He sold the fabric and the horse on which he had arrived and then walked back to Assisi. Rather than entering the city gates, he stopped at the dilapidated San Damiano church, asking the priest for a place to stay. He offered all of the money to the church in an effort to emulate Jesus’ request to the rich young man in the Gospel, “sell at that you have and give it to the poor and come follow me.” (Mark 10:21)
Too many earthquakes
Foligno does not remotely resemble Assisi. Rather than a hill top cluster of medieval buildings, it is a valley floor mix of modern and historical buildings, a city center and sprawling suburbia. It is the 3rd largest city in Umbria, with approximately 57,000 residents. This ancient city was founded by Umbrians and became part of the Roman state in 295 BC. The center city, the signature Roman oval grid, remains, although all historic structures have long since disappeared.
The city was damaged in the 1832 Umbrian earthquakes and 1944 WWII bombing. Some medieval buildings remain, including the Basilica Cattedrale di San Feliciano, built between 1133 and 1201. Unfortunately, more earthquakes have damaged the cathedral and it remains closed, much to my disappointment. The 1997 earthquake caused the detachment of the Romanesque facade, which was repaired in 1999. Its current closure is due to yet another earthquake, this one more recent in 2016.
Foligno
Row homes and modern store fronts line the streets that lead to the Piazza della Repubblica, possibly the plaza where Francis sold his family’s goods. This public square is bordered by magnificent buildings including the Basilica, Palazzo Trinci and Palazzo del Podesta, with cafes and restaurants dotting the perimeter. Continuing through the city, I passed a shopping center, a park and homes, and was suddenly thrust back in time as I walked under a medieval tower and through the remains of the southern medieval wall. Foligno is a fascinating city and I wish that I had more time to explore it.
The photo gallery below includes picture in the order that I took them on my walk through Foligno. Notice how the old buildings are interspersed with modern stores, homes and roadways.
Onward to Trevi
The miles outside of Foligno were gentle and lovely. The path led through olive groves, carpeted with wildflowers. Farmers passed by me on tractors carrying straw bails. Cats greeted me along the country roads. Eventually the trail wove through a forested area, and as I reached a high point where I caught a glimpse of Trevi through a gap in the trees.
Halfway up the ascent to Trevi, I entered Santa Maria in Valle, a cluster of ancient homes and simple church that was locked. A young teen on a motorcycle appeared from an unseen road, slowed when he saw me, waved and then sped off in the same direction that I was headed. I could hear the echo of his motor long after he rode away.
Where am I?
The final uphill climb was difficult. The path was narrow, rocky, steep and overgrown with thorny shrubs and wild plants. It deposited me onto a paved road and I made my way into the walled city of Trevi. I walked through the town quickly, aiming to reach my lodgingl before the rain returned. I relied on my phone gps for directions, but unfortunately, the map kept randomly “redirecting”. As someone with a good sense of direction, I was surprised to be lost in the narrow zig-zagging pathways of the city. I passed another lost couple numerous times and was finally rescued by 2 local teenagers who pointed me in the correct direction to the Hotel Trevi Palazzo Natalini.
Upon checkin, I learned that the gps doesn’t work well in Trevi. No kidding! My theory is that medieval towns are like multi layer cakes. The gps lumps all of the roads together on the top of the cake, even though in reality, there are 2 other layers. So, while on the top layer of the city, the directors for the sharp left turn were intended for the next layer down. Hence the redirecting and confusion.
Lovely lodging
The Hotel Trevi is perfectly lovely, and so are the manager and owner. My room was large, comfortable and had its own door to a private patio table. After my shower, I was treated to a glass of Montefalco red wine and snacks, which I enjoyed prior to touring the city. Churches, piazzi, parklets, memorial statues, shops, bars and restaurants … so much to see and yet not enough time. Panoramic views include the cities from where I had come: Assisi, Spello and Foligno. In the distance, across the Spoletana valley, I could see Spoleto, my next destination.
Spoleto
Olive trees
Among the rolling hills, Trevi stands high above an endless expanse of olive trees. From the city, I could see how the rows of trees spiraled around the mountain, descending to the valley below. It is through these rows of olive trees, that I began my walk toward Spoleto. My anticipated distance was 14.5 miles, however, my final mileage was significantly higher than that.
I traversed the hills, wandering up, over and around, the Spoletana Valley often in view. This was the first hike where I could see where I had started and where I was going. I walked beside a large and lengthy stone wall of the Eremo Francescano, a Franciscan monastery, enjoying the view of the infinite olive trees. Just beyond the wall is where I made a mistake. I paused to look at the many sign posts, and chose the path with the Tao markings. Tao is the symbol for la via di Francesco.
Extra miles
It wasn’t until later, when I arrived in a small village that I realized I had added 7 miles to my trek. Back at that sign post near the monastery, yellow arrows pointed downhill. That was my intended pathway as listed in my reference book, the book that I had not read before my morning departure. I landed in Poreta, a quiet town and I plopped down on a stone wall, pulled out a snack and my cell phone. The AllTrails app showed my blue dot on the longer route to Spoleto.
It was getting rather hot, and I had anticipated already arriving in Spoleto at this point of the day. Ah well! What could I do but walk on? Up and down and around on repeat: over hills, through small forested sections, along valley floor farms and into an occasional teeny tiny town.
A posh pilgrim
Finally, I saw a “welcome to Spoleto” sign, but I was hesitant to get too excited. I had been fooled before, thinking that my destination was within minutes. Indeed, I still had 3 miles to walk through the city limits and up steep paths and staircases to my luxury hotel at the tip top of the city. I do not jest about the final distance, nor my hotel. I practically stumbled through the entrance gate of the hotel property and acted as poised as possible in my clunky hiking shoes and stinky backpack. 21.1 miles and 3,684.4′ elevation gain.
I was greeted warmly as I entered the Palazzo Leti Residence d’Epoca hotel and I confidently stated in Italian, that I had a reservation. After providing my passport, which is standard for all hotel check-ins, and not because I looked like a hooligan, I was escorted to my room. My mouth may have dropped open just a bit, as I entered my bedroom for the night. The seventeenth century hand-painted vaulted ceiling was adorned with a glass chandelier. The windows, draped with floor-length curtains, provided a view of the mountains where the path of Francis continues. On any other visit, I would have relaxed on the love seat, most likely sipping a bold red wine. But on this stay, I was most interested in the bathroom, that included a whirlpool bathtub!
The bridge
Bathed, hydrated and ready for food, I returned to the front desk and asked for a dinner suggestion. As one who loves travel, I admired and appreciated the grandeur of the hotel. However, as a pilgrim, I was used to a lot less glamour. I had chosen this hotel because of its location nearest the path for the next day. I asked for directions to the massive bridge that would lead me to the neighboring mountains in the morning.
“Mi spiace, signora, ma il ponte è chiuso da molti anni.”
In disbelief I replied. “what do you mean the bridge has been closed for many years? How do I walk into the high part of the mountains tomorrow?”
Her kind reply stated that I must walk to the bottom of the city, cross the busy roadway and then climb up the trail to meet the bridge on the other side. I walked toward the restaurant a bit downcast as I didn’t want to add more urban miles to the next day’s journey.
Dinner was extraordinarily good: a half bottle of delicious wine, tender roasted artichoke hearts, savory lentil soup, fresh salad and crusty bread. My mood improved as I returned to the hotel.
” Buonasera. Vorrei un taxi per la mattina.” And thus I fell asleep knowing that I would not be walking further miles through the city of Spoleto.
Spoleto to Arrone
I awoke refreshed from a deep sleep in the bed fit for royalty. But then, doubt hit me full fledged in the face. Could I possibly take a taxi to skip the city walking and jump ahead on the trail? On the US Appalachian Trail, we reference this as “yellow blazing”, meaning the yellow road lines point the hiker/car-rider to the next trail head. I pushed the questions aside, feasted on a plentiful breakfast of fruit, granola, cappuccino and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Marco the driver, loaded my pack into the truck of his car. “Oy, you are strong woman to carry this so far!” He explained that the bridge closed in 2016 after a earthquake. Apparently, I am not the only hiker who had used his services to travel outside the city. As he shared stories of the region, I relaxed and was grateful for the ride. He deposited me where he drops all of his hiker clients and made me promise to call him if I had a trouble walking to Rome. Italians have bellisimi cuori (beautiful hearts).
I walked easily and swiftly, leaving behind my guilt of skipping the city miles. Brian called to check in and I was animated as I spun the tale of the prior day’s adventures. No detail was spared and I promised to take him to the lovely hotel atop the beautiful city of Spoleto. I clicked off the call and checked my AllTrails map.
Another mistake?
$&!#$!!!!! Che cavolo!!! What was my problem? I made yet another mistake … 2 in 2 days. In my excitement to speak with Brian, I passed where I was supposed to exit the trail for my evening lodging. I had already walked close to 3 miles further than needed and hatched a new plan. I contacted the B&B for the following night, asking if I could arrive a day early. Hooray, I received a positive confirmation! I then texted the owner of the B&B that I had passed by and apologized that I would not be staying after all. I insisted that they keep the full payment because I know that B&B owners work hard to prepare food for their guests. Push mode was implemented and felt the competitive surge to get to my new goal as fast as possible.
Arrone
Arrone is a small hill top town, that, according to my new B&B friend Rita, has only 19 resident families. Like many medieval cities, the young people move out and the empty homes are replaced with rentals for tourists. I intend to write an All-Star blog about the people who have gone above and beyond to help me during my trek. Arrone Rita will be featured in that post. She moved my reservation, welcomed me warmly, opened the church for me to pray and arranged for a restaurant owner to open early to make me a special allergy-free meal. I’d name her Saint Rita if that title wasn’t already taken. (A little Catholic humor for you).
After watching the sunset, I snuggled into my bed, reflecting on the kindness and love of strangers. The walk from Assisi to Arrone was a blur of time, although I admit that the hike to Spoleto seemed to drag on just a wee bit. And now, magically, I am one day ahead of schedule.
Continue reading:
Via di Francesco – Arrone to Poggio Bustone
Via di Francesco, days 22-23. Glorious water: Marmore Falls, Velino River and Lake Piediluco. Alas, more rain on the walk to Poggio Bustone.