"THE WAY OF THE FRANCISCAN Martyr"

Itinerary for pilgrimage on foot in the territory of the Diocese of Terni-Narni-Amelia

 

In this historical moment we are witnessing a rediscovery of the pilgrimage on foot along the Sacred Way and particularly along the three lines leading to the main goals of the medieval Christian religious: the tomb of St. James, Santiago de Compostela, in Petri sedem, Rome and sepulchrum Christi, Jerusalem.

If a large part of Italy has been cut by one of the most important ways of faith, known as the Via Francigena, Umbria is counted among the main regions where he could develop the pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Michael Monte Sant ' Angel in Apulia and the litany to the Shrine of the Holy House of Mary.

These two lines added in the last century has a special interest in the restoration of the paths traveled by St. Francis of Assisi during his wandering through Umbria and neighboring regions. They were born the "Franciscan paths" recorded under various names on which he poured out the political, economic and nature of local and national. Most of these routes will stop at the borders of Umbria Terni incorrectly believed poor "memory" and local Franciscans, in fact, some routes only the site of the Franciscan Piediluco is provided as a stage of transition between the Rieti Holy Valley and the Valley of Spoleto .

Valuing cultural itinerary through Umbria Terni not yet wrought by mass tourism, which still maintains intact the values ​​which St. Francis was a witness along with his spiritual family can offer a viable alternative to the tourist or pilgrim to know the strip of Umbria linking the territories of Terni, Narni and Amelia and retraces the steps along the urban centers, the caverns, hermitages, monasteries and natural sites dear to St. Francis of Assisi.

Beyond the many reasons the place of departure - spiritual, existential, cultural, or fashion, boredom, curiosity - that lead many people to still be re-passers, more and more to respond to the suggestion to go over now obsolete and slow routes, we are interested emphasize the discovery that unites and transforms each arrival that crosses the paths leading to places of faith, in a pilgrim people.

Today, the path seems to be a symbol of removal from a state of busy life, but at the same time blocked the search for deeper values ​​linked to priorities, intimate, essential. On the way, getting rid of everything - places and people, possessions and assets - you have the option to seek essential and, in this emptiness, to find space for new priorities, taking a slower pace, finding
the cadence of their steps, we can wonder about the meaning of our lives and create the conditions for restoring the right direction to our existential journey.

Walking in a group, everyone can discover the face of his labor in dealing with the mountains, the serenity of gait and satisfaction upon arrival in the plains: the path leads to the encounter and the relationship, sharing and educating mutual support.

Finally, while not taking anything for himself, and enjoys the traveler looks and feeds of creation in which he walks, listening to the voices of nature can afford to come to feel within himself a true contact with nature to feel the back of which, creature among the creatures.

Going the Way of Protomartyrs Franciscans, more than any other place, the look can re-open to the wonder that in these places led San Francisco to raise her canticle of creatures; along these paths, arriving in the city, the caverns, hermitages, convents and natural sites, places overlooking the 'Sacred' "real Friars Minor," the personal dimensions can conjugate with the faith, it is possible to exceed the limit of their research and be open to the Divine: then the path can become a pilgrimage centers along the Poverello of Assisi and dear to the traveler in a pilgrim.

The project's aim is to promote both in our region than in the rest of Italy, knowledge of historical and religious places of origin of Protomartyrs Franciscans.

che ha da subito manifestato il suo interesse tant'è che ha ufficializzato il suo coinvolgimento con l'emanazione del comunicato stampa del 21/02/2011 “ Ha preso il via in Provincia nei giorni scorsi il progetto del “Cammino dei Protomartiri francescani”, un itinerario turistico-religioso che ha l'obiettivo di promuovere il territorio compreso fra Terni, Narni, San Gemini, Calvi dell'Umbria e Stroncone e di implementare ulteriormente l'offerta turistica provinciale. After receiving the approval of our Bishop, we presented the project to the Province of Terni who immediately expressed his interest so much so that he formalized his involvement with the issue of press release dated 21/02/2011 "He got underway in the province in recent days, the project of "Way of the Franciscan Protomartyrs", a tour-religious tourism which aims to promote the territory between Terni, Narni, San Gemini, Umbria and Calvi Stroud and implement Provincial tourism further. "The Path of Franciscan Protomartyrs" is sponsored by the Society of St. Michael the Archangel Romei and the Diocese of Terni, Narni and Amelia, and is coordinated and supported by the Province of Terni. It involves the towns of Terni, Narni, San Gemini, Umbria and Calvi Stroud and is designed to enhance history, environment, art and sacred heritage of making the system a great value from the environmental, scenic, historical, religious and cultural . This is a very ambitious project and the great charm that draws inspiration from the road to Santiago de Compostela ... "The City of Narni (TR) has put the project on its corporate website with an article on 07/05/2011.

We believe that the project will be fully defined later this year (2011) and that the Way of Protomartyrs Franciscans will be operational from May 2012.

We carried out from June 5 to June 11, 2011 a pilgrimage of Company "experimental" to see if the theorized correspond to reality. The pilgrimage "of Cammnino Protomartyrs Franciscans" 2011 was wonderful ( see article ). Here we profoundly thank the Umbrian town of Calvi and the City of San Gemini for the reception riservataci. We also thank the San Gemini manifestataci Spa for the hospitality.

The route of the Way of the Franciscan Protomartyrs winds through the current territory of the Diocese of Terni-Narni-Amelia, through Stroud, Aguzzo, Calvi of Umbria, Narni and San Gemini, the city that gave birth to Protomartyrs Franciscan according to the places where St. Francis carried on his work of preaching Terni in Umbria, leaving an indelible sign of reconciliation, not to mention some of the most important Benedictine abbeys which had a considerable importance for the evangelization of our land. The course is designed to simplify the complexity of the specific issues and inevitable in a pilgrimage walk (refreshment - points to draw water, etc..). It will be done in 7 steps recommended but at the same time will be arranged for intermediate stages can be modulated at will by the pilgrim. This will make it possible for those who do not have all the days required for traveling all the way at one time or for those who prefer to take a detour from the other paths that pass through our lands and bathe, use paths connecting intermediate between the major cities touched by the way.

 

 

On August 5, 2011 on RAI aired the documentary on Protomartyrs Franciscans and now can be viewed directly on the site of Rai, follows precisely the link:

http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-e24805d5-6b68-46af-acbf-5a8108160d4e.html