Valle de Rieti

The Rieti Valley, also known as the "Holy Valley", is one of Italy's areas with the highest spiritual load and the heart of the Via di Francesco del Sud. It was in this fertile plain, surrounded by mountains, where Saint Francis of Assisi spent long periods of his life, finding refuge, inspiration, and founding four shrines that are pillars of Franciscan spirituality: Greccio, where he created the first living manger; Fonte Colombo, where he wrote the Franciscan Rule; Poggio Bustone, where he received forgiveness; and La Foresta, the site of the miracle of the wine. For pilgrims, walking through the Holy Valley is to immerse oneself deeply in the life and message of the saint. The path connects these four shrines through beautiful natural trails, passing through the city of Rieti, considered the geographical center of Italy. It's a pilgrimage in itself within the large route to Assisi, an itinerary that invites meditation, simplicity, and contact with the places that transformed Francis and the world.