Читать книгу The Way of St Francis - The Reverend Sandy Brown - Страница 12

1 FLORENCE TO SANTUARIO DELLA VERNA

Views of vineyards and mountains beyond from just below Diacceto (Stage 2)

Standing at the edge of the Late Middle Ages, a time of the dominion of religion and the Church, Michelangelo and his fellow artists looked within Biblical stories for the classic and timeless beauty in their subjects. Their work gave rebirth to the Classical Era, and foreshadowed the Enlightenment and its love of science and nature.

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.

Recreational tourists far outnumber pilgrim walkers on these mountain trails, but pilgrims benefit from an infrastructure of economical lodging and services. The route at times treads portions of other important trail routes – the Grande Escursione Appenninica, the Sentiero Italia, the Cammino di San Vicino, and the lush and beautiful Sentiero delle Foreste Sacre near La Verna.

Hermits, monks and friars – travelers along the active and cloistered walks toward God – can be found along these trails at two of Italy’s most revered religious communities. Eremo Camaldoli has been home to monks for nearly 1000 years, while this section’s end point, Santuario della Verna, is an active Franciscan community inaugurated by St Francis himself. Pilgrims may want to plan an extra night here to enjoy Franciscan hospitality, visit the many chapels and monuments, and spend extra hours in contemplation at one of Italy’s most holy sites.