The day’s 46.3 km route starts at Citerna and, via the lovely historical centre of Città di Castello, takes you to Pietralunga. The length and climb of almost 1,000 metres makes it one of the hardest you’ll face along the entire St Francis' Way. The toughest part is the ascent to Pieve de’ Saddi, with an early gradient in excess of 10% in some places. Unless you are especially athletic, pace yourself and make good use of your gears. In return you will enjoy magnificent views over the landscapes below once you get to the top. The first part of the route, after having left Citerna behind, is easy and for much of the way follows a cycling path along the Tiber River that leads to the centre of Città di Castello.
Take a break here and tour the historical centre, rest up and prepare yourself to face the hardest part of the trip. Once outside Città di Castello and past the Convento degli Zoccolanti the roads turns towards Pieve de’ Saddi, featuring some 7 km of ascent, the gradient of which sometimes exceeds 10%. You’ll need all the strength your legs can give you, especially if you are laden with equipment and baggage. Once you reach the top there is an uneven dirt road for 6 km that leads to the town of Pieve de’ Saddi, where, to reward you for the tremendous effort, you will be regaled with breathtaking panoramic views.
After the dirt road there is another climb of about 600 metres before you can ease into a long downhill stretch that leads to the feet of Pietralunga. One last ascent (1 km) takes you to destination, the historical centre of town, where you can finally relax and enjoy the end of the second day.