Stage 4 Ponte di Augusto in Narni. Pilgrims on the Way of the Franciscan Proto-martyrs, Umbria Italy

The Way of the Franciscan Proto-martyrs

Stage 4 - from Narni to San Gemini

This entire stage takes you through the splendid countryside between Narni and San Gemini.

For the entire way the route follows the beautiful countryside between Narni and Sangemini.
Along the route you can visit first the beautiful tenth century Abbey of St. Cassiano (where time seems to stand still!) and then the ancient Sanctuary of the Madonna del Ponte, place of pilgrimage since ancient times. La Cerqua, a very small village, surrounds the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Quercia (St. Mary of the Oak Tree).
Sangemini, St. Peter's birthplace, is an enchanting medieval village rich in history.
The Church of St. Francis in Sangemini is our arrival point.
The trail is well marked and you can download
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From
Narni (Chiesa di San Francesco)
To
San Gemini (Chiesa di San Francesco)
Distance
20 Km
Increase in altitude
+ 731
Loss of altitude
-  637
Surface
dirt road-tarmac
Road Sign
yes
Travel time
6 hours
Water sources
yes
Resting areas
yes
Degree of difficulty
 
Medium
With your back to the main door of the Church of Saint Francis, walk straight ahead for 60 metres and turn left into Piazza dei Priori. Walk across the square and on the other side, on the right, turn into Via Mazzini. After walking to the end of Via Mazzini, you will reach Piazza Galeotto Marzio. Here, turn right immediately into a downhill lane, Via Marcellina, and walk right to the end. Turn left into Via Gattamelata and you will arrive at a medieval gateway on the right.
After going through the medieval gateway, turn left into a downhill road, Via Porta della Fiera, and continue on until you reach the crossroads with the provincial road.Be careful crossing the road. Cross the road and ignore the little steps opposite. Instead, turn left and take the walkway leading to the Ponte di Augusto (Bridge of Augustus) between the guardrail and the iron railings. Continue walking between the railings and the guardrail for about 40 metres and turn right into the steep downhill dirt path protected by a wooden fence (here, you can admire the ruins of the Ponte di Augusto bridge) and continue on along the pedestrian walkway for 150 metres.
stage 4 figuresAt the end of the path, walk into a widening and turn right. After another 50 metres, turn left onto the old medieval bridge. 
Once you have crossed the bridge, after 50 metres, turn left in the direction of the Abbey of San Cassiano (See figure 1).Continue on for 250 metres. Once you have passed the flyover, at the junction, take the unpaved road on the right. Continue on for another 250 metres and you will reach a grass car park with a masonry building on the right.  After going past this little building, you will see an uphill path on the right.  Take the path and walk up it until you reach the abbey.When you find yourself before the iron gate of the entrance door, turn right onto the path and, once you have reached an unpaved road, after 100 metres turn left. Then continue on along the unpaved road until you get to the main entrance to the Abbey of San Cassiano (2.2 km from the departure point).
After visiting the abbey, exit the secondary door and return back along the same path you had taken to reach the abbey.
From the car park, go back along the same road until you get to the medieval bridge.Instead of turning right towards the bridge, continue straight on along the pedestrian walkway opposite.  After the bend, take another pedestrian walkway (between two walls) on the left (100 metres).
To the end of the walkway, continue straight on along the road for another 50 metres and you will come to the Church of Santa Maria del Ponte (3.4 km from the departure point).
After visiting the church, with your back to the main door, turn left and, after a few metres you will come to a junction. Take the narrow road on the right on level ground and continue on for 300 metres until you come to the provincial road.
Be careful crossing it and take the road opposite (a road line with cypress trees).
Continue on for 250 metres (walking alongside the cemetery) and turn right at the junction into Strada di Fiacchignano. Continue for 150 metres, turn right and continue on for 250 metres until you get to a little bridge.
Cross the little bridge, turn left and take the uphill road on the left.
Continue on along the unpaved uphill road for 600 metres until you come to the Provincial Road on your right. Turn left and continue on, walking on the left side of the Provincial Road (be careful along this stretch of road, even though the hard shoulder is passable) and take the narrow road running parallel to the Provincial Road until you get to some little steps on the right, after having walked 100 metres from the entrance to the narrow road. Climb the steps and, at the top  (be very careful here), make sure that there are no vehicles nearby, then take the flyover (bridge) on the left, which crosses over the dual carriageway.
After crossing the flyover (be careful here) cross the Provincial Road and continue on for 100 metres on the right-hand side, where the hard shoulder is quite wide, until you come to a side road on the right.
Turn right here, into an internal road running through a group of buildings and, after another 40 metres, turn left and continue on for 500 metres, following the road (which is first tarmac and then gravel) until you come to the provincial road again.
Cross over and turn right, walking along the left-hand side of the road. Continue on for 300 metres until you get to the Church of Santa Maria della Quercia (6.3 km from the departure point).
Cross over the provincial road again in order to go and pay a visit to the church and, after the visit, with your back to the door of the church, take the narrow downhill road on the left. After 70/80 metres turn right (See photo 1), where you will see a gate opposite, and walk towards a field, following the tractor path.
Take the narrow tractor road downhill on the right (as an indication, follow the large tree in the middle of the field).Continue on along the narrow road (be careful because you will be walking on the edge of a deep ditch on your right) until you cross the barrier of trees, first going straight on and then making a bend to the left and one to the right in order to get past the barrier.
As soon as you have gone past the barrier, walk straight ahead in the field and, after 50 metres, turn right, in a right angle (there are no precise reference points, just an electricity substation at the end of the field) and continue on along the tractor road.After turning right, continue straight on for 450 metres until you reach the electrical substation, keeping it on your right, and you will come to a tarmac road. Cross this road and take the tractor road opposite and continue on until you get to a little bridge (150 metres).
After the little bridge, continue on for 250 metres until you get to a big retaining wall.Where the wall begins (you will see its corner) take the path on the left between the wall and a row of fruit trees and continue on for 100 metres until you come to a tarmac road. At the crossroads, turn left and continue on along the tarmac road, Strada di Fabbrucciano, without making any detours, for 4.7 km (the road is always slightly uphill and after 2.6 km it becomes unpaved). Be very careful here, as there is a sharp bend to the left (a very tight bend). As soon as the abandoned building ends, take the narrow downhill road located halfway around the bend (reference: post with a broken traffic mirror - only the mirror's support is still remaining).
Continue straight on along the unpaved road for 900 metres and when you get to a junction (located in front of an olive grove), take the unpaved downhill road on the left, pointing towards a little wood with some agricultural buildings.
Continue on for 1.5 km along the unpaved road until you get to a bridge over the Caldaro torrent without making any detours. From the bridge, continue on along the same road, without making any detours, until you get to another bridge over a small torrent. Take the unpaved road on the left, located before the bridge (you mustn't cross the bridge though!!!) and continue on along this road for approximately 1300 metres without making any detours (you will pass along the left side of an agricultural complex) until you come to a tarmac road (here, you will find a place-name signpost indicating Via San Rocco).
The intersection is on a bend along the tarmac road. Turn right into the slightly downhill tarmac road and continue on for 200 metres until you come to another junction. Continue on, without making any detours, uphill along Via San Rocco.
From here, continue on uphill along the road for about 900 metres until you reach a junction. Take the road on the left here and, after 30 metres, turn into Via Socrate on the right. After about another 100 metres, you will come across the SS3TER Provincial Road.Cross the SS3TER road (be careful) and continue on along the pavement on the right-hand side of the provincial road. Walk along the pavement for approximately 200 metres and you will find yourself at a large crossroads.
Follow the pavement until you come to the end of the guardrail and (being very, very careful) cross the provincial road in front of the news stand. Continue on along the pavement and, using the zebra crossing, enter a small pedestrian walkway (reference point: a large electricity pylon, keeping it on your left).
Continue walking until you get to the end and then turn right into Via della Misericordia (row of trees on the right) and continue on for 350 metres (after a little while, the road begins to climb steeply) until you get to the Porta di San Gemini gateway. After going through the gateway, continue on along Via Roma for 150 metres and you will see the Church of Saint Francis on the left.
What you should know before departure
Sources
There are water fountains in: Abbazia di San Cassiano (usable only when open), Chiesa di Santa Maria del Ponte, Bar Narni Scalo and Chiesa Santa Maria della Quercia. Remember to fill your water bottle with at least 1.5 litres of water in the summer.
Intermediate stages
Bar at Centro Commerciale in Via Madonna del Piano in Narni Scalo.
Suggestions
We recommend that you have the maps of the trail with you.
Information (e.g. how to get there using public transport)
Narni Municipal Police Tel. 0744 747260
San Gemini Municipal Police Tel. 0744 334935
Abbey of San Cassiano in Narni. On pilgrimage on the Way of the Protomartyrs of St. Francis of Assisi Italy

The Way of the Franciscan Proto-martyrs

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Stage 3

From Calvi to Narni

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4th stage from Narni to San Gemini. Augustus Bridge to see on pilgrimage on the Way of the Franciscan Proto-martyrs in Umbria Italy

Stage 4

From Narni to San Gemini

Stage 5 from San Gemini to Cesi on the Way of the Protomartyrs. Must see archaeological site of Carsulae Umbria Italy

Stage 5

From San Gemini to Cesi

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Way of the Franciscan Proto-martyrs

The Path is twinned with:

Il Cammino dei Protomartiri è gemellato con il Cammino di Sant'Antonio
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