The Way of St Francis. The Reverend Sandy Brown

and continue uphill on the gravel vineyard road on the other side.

      In 700m the vineyard road turns right toward a cemetery. Follow it 50m to the first wall of the cemetery, then turn left and follow the wall to the cemetery’s driveway. Turn left here and continue 100m to the highway. At the highway turn right, going uphill into the village of Diacceto (6km). The bar on the left side at the turnoff for Pelago is the last place for services until the end of the day’s walk.

      San Pietro Ferrano is visible for several kilometers along the forested mountainside

      Continue uphill 400m on the highway to the turnoff for Ferrano. Turn right here to follow this forested, quiet and fairly level asphalt road for 4.3km until it turns to gravel. Soon, dramatic vistas of the forests and mountains around Pelago become visible, and a castle-like villa and the pointed, yellow tower of Chiesa San Pietro in Ferrano can be seen to the right. (Thomas Muller, artist and priest, graciously welcomes pilgrims at Santa Maria a Feranno, Localita Ferrano Colle 68, 338 6901122, [email protected], €15 per person or €20 with linens.)

      Just past the church (9.1km) a little bench offers a place for a rest and snack. About 20mins later the road turns to gravel and just afterward you come to an abandoned chapel on the right. Here you cross a bridge and just afterward on the left is the trailhead for the forested path to Consuma, signed ‘Consuma 1.45.’ Turn left and follow the gravel path, CAI 11, uphill, looking continually for the red/white painted waymarks of the official trail.

      In 700m is an important and unmarked fork: two broad paths branch off, one toward the right among fir trees, the other to the left among deciduous trees. Turn left, and in 20m see a red/white CAI marker that confirms you’re going the right way. Soon the path starts uphill and in 700m a CAI 11 marker tells you to turn left at a T-junction.

      In just 500m you come to a meadow that is bisected by a two-track gravel road. There are no markings here, but turn left on the gravel road. The road goes uphill and in 50m turns to concrete. In 200m at a triple fork, turn right at another unmarked intersection. In just 20m you seen a CAI marker on a dead fir tree to the right. In 300m you come to another intersection, this time marked with ample signs. Go left and uphill, continuing to follow CAI 11.

      The path now changes to concrete and 300m later comes to a forest road. Turn left. In 1.4km you come to a green chain link fence on the right and soon afterwards a road, Via La Catena. Turn left and follow this road for 700m to an intersection where you take CAI SM (Sentiero della Memoria) right, toward Consuma. This quiet road goes uphill and curves to the right and then in 400m comes to an asphalt road and the abandoned restaurant Il Laghetto Nil Bosco. Turn left onto the asphalt road at the direction of the signs for CAI 6.

      Follow the asphalt road for 900m until, after a left bend in the road, the CAI markings point you onto a small trail on the right side that offers a shortcut into Consuma. Turn right and go uphill. Follow the road at the top to the right, through scattered vacation homes to La Baita Ristorante. Just afterward turn right onto the SR70 highway and follow its left shoulder for about 800m into the heart of Consuma with its restaurants and shops. The main piazza is on the right side of the road across from the village church.

      CONSUMA 1050MPOP 150

      The hamlet of Consuma sits on the Florence side of Passo della Consuma, the main crossing over a spine of the Central Appennines that separates two parts of the Arno River drainage. The town traces its roots to the 15th century when it is first noted as a village that served travelers between Arezzo and Florence. It now serves vacationers visiting the Casentino National Park on two-lane SR70. A central feature of the settlement is its church, built in 1932 over the foundations of a 16th-century chapel.

      Irina Carletti has eight rooms with 17 beds available about 0.5km from the heart of town. Contact her at Affittacamere Villa Katia (Via Casentinese 331) or by phone at 346 7916151 or [email protected], €40/70 includes breakfast). The other lodging is the threadbare but friendly Hotel Miramonti (tel [phone], [email protected], €45/65 pilgrim price includes breakfast. Dinner and sack lunch available) 1km beyond the town, just past the top of the pass and 200m from tomorrow’s track.

STAGE 3

      Consuma to Stia

Start	Piazza, Consuma
Finish	Santa Maria Church, Stia
Distance	16.5km
Total ascent	523m
Total descent	1088m
Difficulty	Moderate
Duration	6hrs 15mins
Note	No services are available along the way, so plan to purchase provisions the night before.

      A long, downhill hike on forested mountain paths and quiet farm roads. Leave early to enjoy the charming historic center of the town of Stia on the banks of the Arno.

      If you stayed at the Hotel Miramonte, return 200 meters to the top of the pass to rejoin the route.From the piazza head uphill 800m to the top of the pass. Across from the log house bar at the summit find the trailhead marked ‘So.F.T. Trekking, Anello Principale.’ Take this trail as it leads gently uphill and away from the highway under beech and pine trees.

      In 400m you come to an intersection with a gravel road heading downhill toward Il Gualdo horse ranch. Turn right here for B&B Gualdo (Loc Gualdo 44, tel [phone], [email protected], from €65, pilgrim discount). At this confusing intersection follow a path marked ‘Stia 00’ just to the left of the Il Gualdo road. You come to a fence and follow it toward a group of houses and finally an asphalt road where you turn left.

      The sign for the easy-to-miss path above Il Gualdo horse ranch

      Shortly afterward go right at the road sign for Gualdo (3km), following the plentiful CAI ‘00CT’ markers downhill on the asphalt road through the tiny town toward a house marked ‘25,’ where the road comes to a T-junction. Continuing to follow the CAI markers, in 425m you arrive at the two-track driveway of a two-story house with a green metal fence. Walk clockwise around the fence and then take an overgrown path at the corner of the house, leading downhill.

      Cross another creek on stones at the bottom of the narrow path. After crossing the creek stay on the right side and then ascend steeply for the next 500m. After the climb, the path widens and another ascent begins. Continue on this path without deviating for another 450m.