The Path of St Francis of Paola: the Hermit's Way

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Discover the ‘’Hermit's Way‘’, one of three routes dedicated to St Francis of Paola

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Statua di San Francesco - Regione Calabria

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The Way of St. Francis of Paola is a slow-mobility route that can be divided into three different routes (‘The Young Man's Way’, ‘The Hermit's Way’ and ‘The Monastery Way’) over several stages, following the steps of the Calabrian patron saint, originally from the city of Paola in the province of Cosenza.

The central position of the Shrine of St. Francis in Paola along the Path makes it possible to walk the itinerary even halfway, starting from one of the two extremes (San Marco Argentano or Paterno Calabro).

On his return from a journey to Assisi, Francis of Paola matured the firm intention of becoming a hermit and having as his only dwelling a cave in the area where the present Shrine stands. Francis' ascetic rigour also attracted some young men and so the Order of Minims began to take life.

The ‘’Hermit's Way‘’ was created with the intention of retracing the steps of Francis, who, while maintaining his purpose of a hermit's life, went from Paola to Paterno as the founder of the Order: a 62.7 km long route divided into three main stages (with intermediate stops in Dipignano, Carolei, Mendicino, Marano Principato, Marano Marchesato and Montalto Uffugo).

The route is deliberately conceived in a two-way manner, because Francis travelled it several times, shuttling between the two convents. Our first stage starts from the Shrine of San Francesco in Paterno Calabro.

Paterno Calabro-Cerisano

Chiesa di San Francesco, Paterno Calabro - Regione Calabria

The route begins at the Shrine of San Francesco di Paterno Calabro, the second after that of Paola erected by the saint in 1472.

From this Shrine, the route continues through nature and the picturesque villages of the Serre Cosentine (passing through Dipignano, Carolei and Mendicino) until it reaches Cerisano, which is the arrival point of this first stage.

Cerisano lies at the foot of Mount Cocuzzo and is a characteristic historic centre. We are immersed in an unspoilt landscape, which allows us to venture on mountain hikes among plateaus and large beech and chestnut forests.

Cerisano-San Fili

San Fili - Regione Calabria

From the narrow streets of the village of Cerisano, one ascends a small mountain road that offers splendid panoramic views of the Acquabianca Plateau and Masseria Silo, with extensive grasslands marked by limestone rocks, scattered farms and cultivated land.

A subsequent long descent through beech, fir and chestnut forests leads the ‘’Hermit's Path‘’ over the Fiumicelle Bridge to the village of San Fili, where the Statue of St. Francis welcomes pilgrims with open arms.

The charm of the old town, perched on three hills and embellished by numerous churches, lends itself to a visit full of Gothic legends and photographic glimpses.

San Fili-Paola

Santuario di San Francesco di Paola, Paola - Regione Calabria

From San Fili one ascends steeply to the extensive beech forests of Bosco Luta, passing the coastal chain to descend on its western slope.

The finishing stage of the ‘’Hermit's Path‘’ is the beautiful Shrine of San Francesco in Paola.

The Shrine of St. Francis of Paola overlooks a large panoramic square: the main entrance is on the right and leads to the modern basilica, inaugurated on the occasion of the Jubilee of 2000, and to the ‘’Cucchiarella Spring‘’, a miraculous spring from which pilgrims draw. Continuing on, you reach the Devil's Bridge and the small hermitage where the saint spent his youthful years. The ancient basilica, in Romanesque style, dates back to the 16th century and consists of a single nave with the chapel that houses the relics of St Francis of Paola (clothing and bone fragments).

Here, at the end of the Pilgrim's Way, one receives the Testimonium, i.e., the document that certifies the pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Francis of Paola, just as one does at Compostela, at the end of the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago.