The Ninth edition, scheduled from May 29 to June 8, will celebrate the eight hundredth anniversary of the writing of the Canticle of the Creatures.
“Joy, Harmony, Fraternity“: this will be the leitmotif of the Festival of the Paths of Francis 2025, a journey through culture, environment and spirituality that for nine years has linked communities and territories of the Upper Tiber Valley, and beyond, in the name of the Franciscan experience.
The new edition of the traveling event, organized by the Valtiberina Project Foundation, is scheduled from May 29 to June 8 and will celebrate an important anniversary: the 800th anniversary of the writing of the Canticle of the Creatures. From the evocative setting of Perugia to the spiritual Assisi, passing through Florence and crossing the wonderful Upper Tiber valley with the villages of Citerna, Sansepolcro, Monterchi, Anghiari, Pieve Santo Stefano, Caprese Michelangelo, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, San Giustino and Città di Castello: this year the Festival is once again confirmed as a unique event of its kind, capable of uniting places and people through the figure of Francis.
A Tribute to the 800th Anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures
The vision that emerges from the Canticle is profoundly positive and inclusive. Francis not only celebrates natural wonders such as the sun, moon, fire, water and earth, but also considers them brothers and sisters, in an affirmation of equality and interconnectedness between man and the rest of creation. Francis’ praise is, therefore, a prayer that embraces the whole of reality, in a perspective of interconnection and universal harmony; hence the title “Joy, Harmony, Fraternity“.
The stages of the Festival will therefore represent a tribute to the verses of the famous text and will be divided into three large distinct but interconnected thematic worlds: the world above (Per sora luna e le stelle), the world below (Per sor’acqua, frate focu, per Sora nostra madre terra) and the world of men (Per quelli che perdonano per lo tuo amore).
Culture, Entertainment and Trekking to Discover the Area
Also this year the program will be rich and varied thanks to the presence of numerous guests. Afternoon meetings, debates, cultural insights and shows will animate the stages of the Festival which will also wink at the little ones with events dedicated to them. The Urban Forest in Sansepolcro (Piazza Torre di Berta) and the Green Amphitheatre in Città di Castello (Parco Ansa del Tevere) will be the two great main stages of the Festival, stages for concerts, interviews and evening talks. There will also be traditional morning treks, accompanied by expert guides, regenerating appointments to discover nature and the wonderful landscapes of the Tiber Valley.
A Festival that Unites Communities and Territories
Organized under the artistic direction of Giovanna Zucconi, the Festival has grown over the years thanks to its ability to network. Collaboration with the associative world and with local companies that share the mission of a sustainable territory with the Valtiberina Project Foundation is fundamental. Also this year, the program will also directly involve important institutions such as the Opera di Santa Croce in Florence and the Sacred Convent of Assisi.
The itinerant mode of the Festival, with its inclusive and open character, makes this event a fundamental glue between the communities of the Umbrian and Tuscan valleys, overcoming administrative divisions and parochialism to foster a spirit of universal fraternity.
How to Participate
To participate in all scheduled events, including free ones, reservations are required, to be made through the official website of the Festival dei Cammini di Francesco (www.festivaldeicamminidifrancesco.it). To register for the treks, you can contact the Circolo degli Esploratori (info@circoloesploratori.it).
For all information and to stay updated on the appointments and stages of the Festival, you can visit the www.festivaldeicamminidifrancesco.it website and follow the social pages Facebook and Instagram (@festivaldeicamminidifrancesco).
