To reach the Celle di San Francesco, you leave Cortona behind and follow a road that enters the woods. The hermitage appears within a narrow cove of Monte Sant'Egidio, built around the rock and crossed by a stream. It is a place that needs no special effects: you only have to listen to it.
The Saint's Cell and the Hermitage in the Stone
Saint Francis chose this refuge during his passages through the Cortona territory, and here, according to tradition, he wrote his religious testament in 1226. The small cells, bridges, oratories and narrow passages seem to follow the natural shape of the valley. The Saint's cell remains the most intense point of the visit.
When the Landscape Becomes Contemplation
The Capuchin friars have looked after the hermitage since the 16th century, keeping it a living place rather than a mere monument. The sound of water, the greenery and the stone create a rare calm. People come out of faith, curiosity or the need for silence: almost always, they leave speaking more quietly.