Cammino San Francesco di Paola
The route, 112 km long and composed of 6 STAGES, runs in the Coastal Chain Mountains, the ridge that stretches parallel to the Calabrian Tyrrhenian coast, in the Province of Cosenza.
It starts from the village of San Marco Argentano and arrives at the Sanctuary of Paterno Calabro, passing through Paola and the Sanctuary of St. Francis. The variety of landscapes, with changing environments and valuable biodiversity, characterizes this Walk. It goes from Mediterranean scrub areas with breathtaking views of the sea, to oak and chestnut groves, to beech forests at the highest altitudes. Almost every STAGE, ends in one of the picturesque villages of the Calabrian hinterland.
Given the central location of the Sanctuary of Paola along the Camino, the itinerary can also be walked only halfway, starting from one of the two ends (San Marco Argentano or Paterno Calabro) and still arriving at the Sanctuary of Paola.
In fact, two itineraries are proposed for those who do not want to do the entire Camino:
THE YOUNGER'S WAY San Marco Argentano → Paola
THE HERMIT'S WAY Paterno Calabro →← Paola (walkable in both directions)
HISTORY
The Cammino was designed to retrace the main journeys made by St. Francis of Paola (1416-1507), a hermit and founder of the Order of Minims. As a teenager, he chose the woods of Paola as a place to retire to a solitary life, contemplating God and living in a very harmonious and balanced relationship with nature.
Thanks to extensive research and cartographic assessments, each of the Traced Routes has a story related to a particular phase of the Saint’s life. The Via del Giovane presents a very young Francis, who goes to San Marco Argentano to have a vocational experience, from which he returns to Paola, his native village, convinced that he wants to embrace a eremitic, radical and solitary lifestyle. The Hermit’s Way, on the other hand, recounts an adult Friar, founder of a monastic Order, open to the needs of the people, who goes to Paterno to found his first convent after the one in Paola.
The Camino speaks not only of historical memory, but also of traditions, cultural identity, environmental sustainability, and knowledge of places as beautiful as they are unexplored. It is not only a path to be walked: the Camino is, that inner space where everyone has the opportunity to rediscover the importance of values such as the relationship with nature, the relationship with oneself, the pleasure of meeting and conviviality.
WATER
Present at the beginning of the STAGE and at the end of the STAGE. At least one intermediate source in each STAGE.
SERVICES
Supermarkets: present on all STAGEs except Bosco Cinquemiglia.
Pharmacies: present on all STAGES except Bosco Cinquemiglia.
Luggage transport: €5 per luggage per STAGE, with a minimum of 8 people (for smaller numbers the total transport fee of €40 is required). Autotrinidad – cell. 3472750217 (Eddy)
https://www.ilcamminodisanfrancesco.it/info.html#pl5
SIGNAGE
The Cammino San Francesco di Paola is well marked. Along the route are distributed 110 marker stones decorated with the Sun, the symbol of the Way, a yellow arrow marking the direction to follow, an indication of the missing kilometers, and a scene from the life of St. Francis, different for each stone. Other signage consists of road signs, yellow-blue paint flags and occasional yellow arrows with the sun.
CREDENTIALS
It can be reserved in the info-credential section of the official website and picked up at one of the distribution points.
Alternatively you can request it, receiving it directly at home, from the shop section of the website. Cost €5 (including end-of-Walk testimonium).
CONTACTS
WEBSITE: www.ilcamminodisanfrancesco.it
MAIL: info@ilcamminodisanfrancesco.it
OPERATING HEADQUARTERS: “La Casa del Km Zero,” Via San Francesco – 87027 Paola (CS). View on GOOGLE MAPS
STAGE 01: SAN MARCO ARGENTANO - CERZETO
Ridge STAGE
Departure: San Marco Argentano
Arrival: Cerzeto
Distance: 11.8 km
Height difference: +520 m/ – 505 m
It starts in San Marco Argentano, from the church of the Riforma that hosted Francis of Paola when he was just 13 years old. The first part of the route offers views of the Crati Valley, the Pollino and the Italo-Albanian towns of Cervicati and Mongrassano. After passing through a forest of chestnut trees, one soon arrives in the village of Cerzeto also of Italo-Albanian ethnicity, language and culture.
Valley STAGE.
Departure: San Marco Argentano
Arrival: Cerzeto
Distance: 10.6 km
Height difference: +370 m/ – 355 m
This first STAGE along the valley route (alternatively, you can take the ridge variant) is fairly easy and faces moderate elevation changes. One can take advantage of half the morning for a visit to the village of San Marco Argentano (don’t miss the Cathedral and the Norman Tower). After a paved section to the village of Mongrassano, one enters country areas, skirting the ghost town of Cavallerizzo and passing through the hamlet of San Giacomo, before reaching the village of Cerzeto in about three hours.
STAGE 02: CERZETO - BOSCO CINQUEMIGLIA
Departure: Cerzeto
Arrival: Cinquemiglia Forest
Distance: 17.5 km
Height difference: +1100 m/ – 500 m
From Cerzeto going up the mountain in a forest of turkey oaks and chestnut trees, one can admire the monumental chestnut tree called Patriarch of Kroj Shtikàn. Further on, in an extensive beech forest, is the imposing beech of St. Francis. Past the Cinque Vie pass, one enters the Cinquemiglia Forest, one of the largest beech forests in Calabria. Downhill you reach the refuge where the STAGE ends.
STAGE 03: BOSCO CINQUEMIGLIA - SANCTUARY OF PAOLA
Departure: Cinquemiglia Forest
Arrival: Shrine of Paola
Distance: 19.8 km
Height difference: +750 m/ – 1500 m
From Bosco Cinquemiglia you ascend to the small natural body of water called Laghicello. You cross the Coastal Chain near Cozzo Cervello (highest point of the Cammino, at 1389 m) and descend on its western side, immersed in a beech forest. A life-size bronze statue of the saint is encountered, and further on magnificent views of the Tyrrhenian Sea lead to the Sanctuary of Paola.
STAGE 04: SANCTUARY OF PAOLA - SAN FILI
Departure: Sanctuary of Paola
Arrival: San Fili
Distance: 21.8 km
Height difference: +1300 m/ – 1000 m
From the Sanctuary of Paola you climb steeply, with views of the Tyrrhenian coast, to the extensive beech forests of Bosco Luta. Here one crosses the Coastal Chain and begins to descend on its eastern slope. The long descent through the woods also affords views of the Crati Valley from time to time. You arrive in the village of San Fili, where a statue of St. Francis welcomes travelers with open arms.
STAGE 05: SAN FILI - CERISANO
Departure: San Fili
Arrival: Cerisano
Distance: 18.9 km
Height difference: +900 m/ – 850 m
From the village of San Fili, past the ancient medieval bridge of the Jumiceddre, one ascends steeply through chestnut forests. You arrive in the area of the small plateau of Acquabianca and Masseria Silo, with extensive grasslands marked by limestone rocks, scattered farms and cultivated land. It continues through a beautiful beech forest and then downhill to the picturesque village of Cerisano.
STAGE 06: CERISANO - SANCTUARY OF PATERNO CALABRO
Departure: Cerisano
Arrival: Sanctuary of Paterno Calabro
Distance: 22 km
Height difference: +850 m/ – 770 m
The STAGE alternates between the characteristic villages of the Serre Cosentine and pleasant stretches in nature. From Cerisano one arrives in a short time at Mendicino. Passing the characteristic rocky ridge of Timpa Limena, you climb to the village of Carolei. You cross the Busento River and continue on a steep slope through pasture areas with old farmhouses. Passing the village of Dipignano, you arrive at the shrine of Paterno Calabro.
GUIDE TO THE CAMINO SAN FRANCESCO DI PAOLA
Born in 1416, Francis of Paola is still the most revered saint in Calabria. To walk the Cammino San Francesco di Paola dedicated to him is to immerse oneself in an experience that combines nature, spirituality and tradition. Passing through millennia-old beech forests and villages rich in folklore and ancient customs, one comes into contact with the legacy of a man deeply connected to his community and respect for his surroundings. Along the way, one encounters the crystal-clear waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea and finally reaches the sanctuary of Paola, custodian of the spiritual aspirations of generations of pilgrims for more than 500 years.
The Way has two main routes, both with the possibility of reaching the shrine from different directions. One can choose to follow the Via del Giovane from San Marco Argentano, which evokes the path taken by Francis when, still young, he approached his vocation. Or one can opt for the Via dell’Eremita from Paterno Calabro, which recounts the courageous and inspired choices that led him to the founding of the Order of Minim Friars. It is also possible to combine the STAGES of both routes to create a longer six-day itinerary.
For those wishing to begin this adventure, the Paola train station, connected by high-speed service, is the ideal starting and arrival point, allowing the journey to begin without wasting time.
Journey diaries
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Within the app you will find many other paths present in Italy. Thanks to the georeferenced tracks of many routes you will be able to study the itinerary that suits you best and also download the GPX tracks of the individual STAGEs offline.
The app also includes a complete digital map of all the paths surveyed to date on our portal, giving you a wide range of choices among the many paths in the Belpaese.
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