Assisi Diary - Day 14 - Walking to Foligno

Today was a walking day.  I left the apartment in the morning darkness and headed in the direction of Spello and Foligno.  There were few people about town and fewer still on the rural roads.  I discovered last year that while roads turn and wind about the Subasio foothills, if one attempts to walk a straight line between Assisi and Spello, not turning as main roads wind down to the valley or up the mountain, but rather taking whatever road, paved or gravel, keeps one on a direct course, one can walk from the gate of one town to the gate of the other.  In less than two hours, I entered Spello.

Foligno, my main destination, lies beyond Spello.  I already had decided to continue on, saving a longer stop in Spello for the way back.  For now, no time to visit.

Unfortunately, the roads connecting Spello with Foligno are not nearly as walker friendly as those between Assisi and Spello.  The next hour was spent navigating narrow shoulders and avoiding vehicles until finally I was able to find the historic center of Foligno.
Those familiar with the life of Saint Francis know that Foligno was where he went to sell some of his father's cloths, along with his horse, with the intention of obtaining money to help with the repair of San Damiano.  Thus, eight centuries ago Francis would have traversed a similar route between Assisi and Foligno.  In the historic center one finds the Piazza della Repubblica, where the Cathedral of San Feliciano stands (built around 1200).

Nearby is the Palazzo Comunale, with a brand new facade from the 1830's.

However, what I was really looking for is on a wall across from the Palazzo.

Roughly translated, this piazza was where, in the year 1206, Francis sold the cloth and horse to restore the Church of San Damiano near Assisi.
After visiting Foligno a while longer, I walked a different but also treacherous road back to Spello.

There I enjoyed some of Spello's art treasures, as well as some of its interesting streets.

Then it was back on the roads to Assisi.  One of them is particularly enjoyable to walk.  It's called:

Way of the Olives.  As you may have guessed, it is a narrow road with little traffic, amidst many olive trees.

Altogether this was about a 24 mile walk.  Toward the end I glanced down at San Damiano, much larger and in better repair than when Francis traveled to Foligno.  While his fund raising efforts did not go over well with his father, things turned out pretty good in the long run.

Ciao.