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Breakfast at hotel.
Drive to the "Valle
Santa" with local guide, starting from the Sanctuary of
Fonte Colombo, named by Sant Francesco, who had called the
fountain Fons Colombarum. Situated in the forest, this fountain
was often surrounded by singing birds whilst drinking the water
from the fountain. Francesco loved, and was known for visiting
the fountain, to sit down and speak with the frolicking birds.
In 1223, Francesco finally,
happily resided in Fonte Colombo, and fasted on bread and water.
During this time he wrote the rule of the Franciscan Order.
Almost blind, Francesco had an
operation on his eyes in th convent where he resided. We will visit
these sacred places with many famous legends behind them.
The visit will proceed to Greccio,
where a magnificent church is carved into a rock face.
The Saint's heart rested
linked to Greccio, hit by the beauty of the nature and by the
"wealth of the poverty". The Greccio's Sanctuary, is
famous worldwide, for the Christmas night of 1223, when Sant
Francis had represented the first crib in the history of
Christianity.
The tour will visit the Crib
Chapel, built in the same year as Francesco's colonization,
where the convent was commemorated and the first place
where the saint lived with his companions.
We will see the amazing, original
crib, kitchen, refectory and dormitory.
Lunch in local restaurant.
In the afternoon, the trip will
proceed to Poggio Bustone, visiting the Saint James Sanctuary.
Poggio Bustone is well known as the city of the "Good
People". A legend tells that the Saint, in 1208 while
staying in Poggio Bustone, used to greet the people with a
joyful "Good morning, good people".
Still today, every 4th of October,
a person walks through the whole city with a drum,
repeating this greeting.
From the Convent steps, a path
leads to the Peldino Chapel, about 30 minutes away. The small XV
century church is also known as the Grotto of revelations,
because it is embraced by a grotto. This was a sacred place
where the Saint was known to retire for its meditations.
While driving back to Rieti, we
will stop at the Forest Sanctuary. This is where
the Fabiano Church stood. In 1225, Saint Francis had stayed
at Fabiano Church. Traditions tell that this was the place
where the famous Cantico delle Creature was composed.
Back to Rieti, dinner and
overnight at hotel.
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