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Day Twenty-Two on the
Way of St. Francis ~ Monterotondo to Monte Sacro, 18.1 Kilometers (11.25 Miles)

Our Way of St Francis from Monterotondo to Monte Sacro on day twenty-two was much shorter than the prior day, and surprisingly rural for the first 12 kilometers of the stage. Our early arrival allowed for a pleasant evening seeing historic sites in Monte Sacro and for hanging out over food and beverages. 

It’s impossible to be alone when walking, with so many things under our gaze which are given to us through the inalienable grasp of contemplation.” ~ Frédéric Gros, A Philosophy of Walking

Brief History of the Monte Sacro

Monte Sacro was originally a sacred site where ancient Romans sought omens by studying the flight of birds. This divination practice, known as augury, was performed by priests from the patrician (aristocratic) class. By interpreting these "auspices," the priests advised the Roman Senate on important decisions. Click on the link here if you wish to learn more about this ancient practice.

In the 5th century BCE, the plebeians (common people) staged two uprisings fifty years apart to protest harsh debt laws and a lack of political rights. Both times, they withdrew to Monte Sacro in protest. Their resistance, known as the Secession of the Plebs (Secessio Plebis), eventually forced the patricians to create the Tribunes of the Plebs, the first political office dedicated to protecting common citizens. This movement marked a major step in the development of Roman democracy.

Again, in the 19th century, the future "Liberator" of South America, Simón Bolívar, met with his mentor, Simón Rodríguez on Monte Sacro in 1805. He swore to dedicate his life to breaking the chains of Spanish oppression and fight for the independence of his homeland. This was known as Simón Bolívar's Oath. He fulfilled this oath by leading successful campaigns for the independence of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and other nations. 

Monte Sacro's importance lies in its dual historical role as a site of early democratic struggle for rights in Rome and a place where a pivotal vow for continental liberation was made centuries later, forever linking it to themes of freedom and popular sovereignty. 

Today, Monte Sacro is a peaceful stop for pilgrims on the Via di Francesco. The landscape is now dominated by the 20th-century church, the Chiesa Santi Angeli Custodi, which serves as the final destination for this stage of the journey. 

Maps and Stats, The Way of St. Francis, Monterotondo to Monte Sacro

The Way is a short one but as noted above, it is rural for the first 12 kilometers, even walking through the large, private Marcigliana Natural Preserve. 

Five kilometers into the stage, after climbing a hill, there is an open view of St. Peter's Dome, 28 kilometers in the distance!

There are no services on this stage until you arrive into the suburbs after 12 kilometers, so be prepared to have food if, like me, you like to stop every 10k or so.

Walking into the northern suburbs of Rome, while very distracting with interesting sights, it is full of people, noise and dirt. Oh well - it must be done!

As you can see from the elevation profile, there are still hills to negotiate, but it is only about a total of 372 meters of elevation gain, mostly in the early part of the day. This stage will not feel difficult, especially in comparison to the prior stages. 

Photo-Rich Travelogue, The Way of St. Francis, Monterotondo to Monte Sacro

The stage begins at the eastern gate to the city, the Arco di Fausto Cecconi. (See day twenty-one and scroll to the bottom for a photo of it). From the gate, the Way turns to the left onto the Viale Fausto Cecconi and stays high and to the left at the Y-intersection a few steps past the gate, below. 

As you climb up the street through the pleasant neighborhood, notice a small food shop on your right, the Alimentari Enzo. It was open early when we passed. This is your last chance to pick up supplies before the day's walk. 

Continue up the hill, until you almost reach the top at a small plaza, the Piazza San Francesco d'Assisi, which contains the Convento Frati Cappuccini, (+39 06 9062 7534), see below. This convent has donation-based beds for pilgrims. 

Just past the convent, when the road branches, stay to the right to follow the Via Frati Crociferi for about the next 1/4 kilometer.

Crest the hill, walking down the other side and after about 2/3 kilometer from the start at the gate, look for the right turn onto the Via dei Frati Minori. 

Continue down the hill, coming to a T-intersection with the Via Frati Crociferi once again. Turn right. 

Pass a playground on your left, and come to a small roundabout with the Via Sant Angelo, see photo below. Round the corner to make a turn to the left. 

As you continue descending along the Via Sant Angelo, you are leaving the big city of Monterotondo behind. Here is Rich and I negotiating this long downhill as the road leaves town. The photo was taken by our German pilgrim friend. 

Arrive at a crossroads at the bottom of this long hill after about 1.5 kilometers into the day. There is a concrete water fountain on your left which is safe to drink. 

The next, second hill climb over less than one-half kilometer, requires a steeper elevation gain of about 55 meters (180 feet). It is the hill you see ahead in the photo above. 

Arrive at the top of the second hill at another crossroad, with another concrete water fountain on the right side. You will see signs to turn right for the Casa del Girasole Bed and Breakfast, (+39 335 595 3861), but it is almost a full kilometer off-route. 

The way is straight through the intersection, now on a nice downhill stroll. 

About 1/4 kilometer after the crossroads, come to a Y-intersection, and stay to the right, continuing the downhill descent along the narrow and quiet paved road. 

By 2.8 kilometers into the day, at the bottom of the hill, and when the road takes a big bend to the right, look for the Way of St. Francis sign leading you to turn to the left and onto a farm lane, see photo below. 

The lane was smooth and straightforward at first, but because it had rained the night before, it was also muddy and a bit overgrown. Below is a good section of the lane! Hopefully it will be dry for you. 

The farmer's lane makes a big turn to the right, petering down to just a grassy path, below, as it winds through the fields and heads toward the next hamlet of Figurone. The sky was clearing and the clouds were performing a light show. 

The grassy lane eventually joins a paved road on the edge of town and arrives at a T-intersection with a wider road, the Via di Valle Ricca. Turn left.

You will take this long straight road, up to the ridge that you see ahead in the photo below, for the next 1.5 kilometers, gaining about 90 meters (300 feet). 

After about 2/3 kilometer, you will arrive at the entrance gate of the private Marcigliana Natural Preserve, below. You may proceed to walk around the gate and continue through the preserve.

Read the sign carefully (in five languages) and observe the rules, including no photography. There is really nothing to take a photo of anyway, but farm buildings and fields.

After another 2/3 kilometer, come to a T-intersection at the top of the ridge, below. There is another sign for the preserve here, and you will turn to the right. You are still within the grounds of the preserve, and technically, I shouldn't be taking photos, I suppose. 

This ridge-top is an important landmark for you to note, after about 5.1 kilometers into the day. First, take note of the open fields behind the sign. 

The road turns to gravel a few meters after the turn, and as you walk along and get better open views to the left, make sure you look for your final destination! Yes, this is a view point towards Rome and if you look carefully, you will see your first sighting of St. Peter's Dome! 

The photo below is zoomed in rather far, so it is a bit grainy. It will not look as close as in the photo. The cathedral is still about 28 kilometers worth of walking away. 

As you now walk along the ridgetop, the view of St. Peter's Dome continues intermittently on your left, as you descend through treed areas with several buildings. 

After not quite 6.0 kilometers into the day, look for a turn to the left, onto another gravel lane, where there is another sign for the Marcigliana Natural Preserve. There is no Way of St. Francis sign here, however there are yellow and blue stripes on the far pole of the sign - extremely easy to miss.

We walked past the turn for at least 1/4 kilometer, until I realized that something wasn't right. Below is a photo of the juncture, where the Way turns left onto the Viale di Tor San Giovanni. 

You may want to keep the name of this road, the Viale (Via) di Tor San Giovanni in your head, as believe it or not, you will be walking along it for the next 6.4 kilometers until well inside the Monte Sacro limits! 

As you descend on this road, it gets rougher as you go along, until it bottoms into a drainage that you can see ahead in the trees in the photo below. 

When you arrive at the drainage bottom, after about 7.0 kilometers total, you may have to deal with mud again, as we did, see photo below. 

After reaching the elevation low, the climb ahead is an elevation gain of 60 meters (200 feet), over the next 800 meters in distance. The road continues to be unmaintained and rough as you climb out of the other side, and we even encountered fallen branches on the road. 

Just before the very top of the climb, you will arrive at the boundary gate of the Marcigliana Natural Preserve after approximately 7.6 kilometers into the day on the Way of St. Francis from Monterotondo to Monte Sacro.

Walk around the gate once again, photo below, where the road now becomes nicely paved and much easier walking. 

Less than 1/2 kilometer later, after cresting the top of the hill, pass the Antigua Agriturismo. I was hoping this place had a café or restaurant after eight kilometers on the road, but it was not to be so!

We kept walking farther along this never ending, paved lane through a few farms and down another long hill. 

After about 9.5 kilometers, the downhill ends, and you will climb another small hill, this one and the remaining ones barely discernable. 

After another kilometer passes, around 10.6 kilometers total, arrive at the fun signage of the trailhead called the Sentiero Natura (Passeggiata Della Bio Diversità), below. It states that St. Peters is still 22.5 kilometers away, and even has Santiago de Compostela (the destination for the Camino de Santiago in Spain) at 2800 kilometers! Cute!

Several more meters down the road, pass a large white government office building on the left. 

By 11.1 kilometers, the quiet lane ends at this crossroads, however the name, Via di Tor San Giovanni continues! You are not done with this road yet!

Continue straight through the crossroads to a wider Via di Tor San Giovanni, yet with no sidewalk or shoulder for pilgrims on the now much busier road. However, it is only a few hundred more meters until the road widens farther and there is a sidewalk for safe passage, see below. Welcome to the suburbs! The street is nicely lined with the ubiquitous umbrella trees!

By 12 kilometers into the day, the Way arrives into Cesarina. Your rural walk is now over. As soon as the buildings of town start you will find cafes lining the street on the right hand side. We stopped at the Pasticceria Gelateria Fli Porfiri, since we had no breaks at all up until this time. I was so happy to sit down and have coffee and pastries!

After our break, the Way continues along the Via di Tor San Giovanni, for the final 1.2 kilometers. The way forward is not very pleasant, and full of a lot of trash strewn about. Too bad. 

Pass the large and gaudy event center, the Borgo delle Cerimonie, on the left side. Only a few steps later come to a T-intersection with the Via della Bufalotta shown below. Just before the intersection, look for the double crosswalk, after 13.3 kilometers into the day, and take it to cross over to the far right side of the Via della Bufalotta.

It is imperative that you take this crossover because the sidewalk and even the shoulder totally disappear on the left side, when you need to walk through the tunnel below the overpass 1/4 kilometer ahead, see next photo below. 

The Way will now continue along the Via della Bufalotta for the next 3.8 kilometers. 

One kilometer later, arrive at the prominent roundabout with the Via di Casal Boccone, below. There is a large gas station on the left, after the roundabout. 

600 meters later, come to the next prominent roundabout with the Via Franco Simongini, below. It is distinct in that it has palm trees in the center of the roundabout. 

1/2 kilometer later, another prominent feature along the route is the iconic mid-century modern water tower, the Acea Torre di Pressurizzazione after a total of 15.4 kilometers, see below. 

This famous landmark is known locally as Il Fungo ("The Mushroom"). It was built in 1957 to help firemen fight urban fires, when it was assessed there was insufficient pressurized water accessibility. There is a restaurant on the top of this tower with fantastic views of the city. 

Soon after passing the Mushroom water tower, you will be directed to cross over to the left side of the street, where the route will be more straightforward ahead.

As you continue to walk through the urban areas, you will notice many different helpful waymarks to guide you, like these stickers on the poles, shown next, that we saw for a while. I thought they were very helpful, as pilgrimages through concrete jungles are often confusing and unclearly marked. You can trust these casual waymarks. 

By about 16.9 kilometers total, pass the noteworthy Monte Gennaro Caffé on your right at an intersection with a small roundabout. The Via della Bufalotta ends here and you enter into the Piazza Monte Gennaro. 

Along the piazza, next you will pass a bell tower for the modern Saint Gemma Galgani church on your right. 

Cross over the Viale Jonio on a bridge. After crossing this bridge, you have now officially arrived in Monte Sacro, after 17 kilometers into day twenty two. The street now becomes the Viale Adriatico.

Next pass the distinctive half-moon shaped market place of the Mercato Montesacro on the left, bustling with people in the fruit and vegetable shops. 

Walk along the Viale Adriatico for the next 800 meters, arriving into the triangular shaped Piazza Monte Baldo.

At the next intersection with the Corso Sempione, a few meters later, the stage officially ends, and the onward Way of St. Francis continues by turning to the right and onto the Via Nomentana Nuova. However, if you look to your left, only a few meters down the road you can see the impressive Chiesa Santi Angeli Custodi. I suggest you end your stage here! You will not be disappointed.

On the way to the church, enter the Piazza Sempione, and notice the prominent government building, the Municipio Roma III on the left, just by the church, shown below. 

And the church, in all its glory, is at the end of the Piazza Sempione. You can see the sky was getting very blustery-looking!

There are angels everywhere in this church! Below, in the photo of the altar, are some of them. 

The dome of the church was my favorite. This photo doesn't do it much justice.

I sat in reverence for some time in this church, especially when the skies opened up and poured onto the city! 

Our German pilgrim companion, who also spoke Italian, knocked on the side door of the sanctuary, and requested a timbro from the church, which the kind priest happily gave to us!

And after our visit to the church, and a nice lunch, we parted ways with our German friend after walking along the route a few more meters together. Rich and I were staying in Monte Sacro. After checking into our apartment, cleaning up and relaxing a bit, we strolled around the area. 

A few steps past the modern bridge over the Aniene River, along the Via di Francesco, if you were to take a path turning left and into a park, you will encounter the 15th century Ponte Nomentano bridge. This was a bridge built along the old Via Nomentana, which crossed the Aniene River at the foot of the Monte Sacro hill. A bridge has existed here for many centuries, dating back to at least the 2nd century BCE, but what you see now is essentially medieval. It is in a wonderful state of preservation, as you can see in the photo below. 

Accommodations in Monte Sacro

Just east of the Santi Angeli church is the holiday home (casa per ferie) run by the Suore del Cuore Immacolato di Maria, Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. (+39 068 293786 or +39 389 6922467, mobile, casadiprocura@gmail.com). They are not donation-based but charge a fee, per person, of 35 Euros, as of this writing.

There is also a holiday home run by the Augustinian sisters, the Casa Per Ferie Santa Rita, who also provide hospitality in a religious setting, but is not donation-based. They are located just steps southeast of the Santi Angeli church. 

There are so many additional places to stay in the Monte Sacro area, that you may want to begin your search by clicking on the booking.com link for Rome. Make sure to click on the map view to zoom into the correct, Monte Sacro area, or nearby. 

We chose to stay in the lovely, remodeled and inexpensive La Casetta apartment for two nights. It is located a few steps off-route, and only a few minute's walk from the Roma Nomentana Train Station with direct lines to the Rome airport - very convenient. 

Very conveniently located in the Piazza Sempione is the City Break Nomentana 1BR apartment, if you prefer apartments. The Movie Home Guesthouse is also close and more economical.

For the exact location of all these places, please see the interactive map above. 

Reflections, The Way of St. Francis, Monterotondo to Monte Sacro

This day was short enough to allow a mini-exploration of a side of Rome that we had not yet seen. While the suburban walking was not very attractive, at least the ending was! Plus our hearts were light, knowing that indeed, the goal was near. 

Salutation

May your own Way of St. Francis from Monterotondo to Monte Sacro be filled with your own contemplation of what the Eternal City has in store for you and your pilgrimage. Ultreia!

Way of St. Francis Stages

Northern Route, Via del Nord ~ La Verna to Assisi

Southern Route, Via del Sud ~ Assisi to Rome

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