La Verna: climbing toward the sacred

Start from the village of Rimbocchi, in the municipality of Chiusi della Verna and in the heart of the Vallesanta, to tackle a complete and spectacular loop that combines authentic mountain dirt roads, breathtaking views and one of Italy’s most iconic places of worship.

Set off by riding your mountain bikes up the Doccione gravel road, a trail nestled among ancient beech and fir forests that climbs steadily toward the ridge. During the climb, when the physical exertion inevitably takes its toll, the mountain of La Verna is a constant backdrop, with its silhouette gradually coming into view through the gaps between the trees, becoming increasingly imposing as you gain altitude. Once you reach Mount Calvano, your efforts are fully rewarded by one of the most dramatic and evocative views in the entire Apennines. A 360-degree view opens up before you, stretching across Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche, giving you an otherworldly feeling, as if literally suspended among the mountains. This is the perfect spot to catch your breath before continuing.

The trail then begins to descend and leads you to the Sanctuary of La Verna, a place symbolic of Franciscanism where Saint Francis received the stigmata in 1224. The trail winds through a majestic forest to immerse you in a rare silence imbued with profound spirituality. We highly recommend taking a break to rest and explore this unique site. Leaving the Sanctuary behind, continue your long descent down the slope of the Vallesanta, passing through the picturesque gorges. Proceeding with due caution across this unique terrain, admire a lunar landscape of clay ridges and shapes carved by erosion—a formation found nowhere else in Italy. Finally, the route allows you to make your way gently back to the starting point in Rimbocchi.