The Hermitage of Saint Francis
The sanctuary of Saint Francis, or the Franciscan Hermitage, is located on Monteluco at an altitude of 800 m not far from the ancient sacred wood and some natural caves that were already inhabited by hermits in the early Christian era.
In the 5th century a community of hermits fleeing Syria settled here. Although sources are unclear, there could be some truth to the legend according to which in 1218 Francis received the small chapel of St Catherine, the oldest part of the present-day hermitage, from the Benedictine monks.
The old oratory of Saint Francis is inside the convent and the rock that holds up the stone altar seems to have been used by the ‘poor man of Assisi' as a headrest.
The well of Saint Francis, located in the courtyard, is the centre of the hermitage. Tradition has it that, to fill it with water, the saint told his followers to dig at the highest point and, much to the surprise of his doubting companions – who thought it a wrong spot – water began to rise in the well.