Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Foresta
The sanctuary near Rieti where Franciscan tradition remembers Francis’s stay in 1225, with San Fabiano, Santa Maria, the Domus and the memory of the vineyard.
- Location
- Rieti, Italy
- 42.4366° N · 12.8747° E
- Type
- Franciscan sanctuary
- Dedication
- Francis’s illness, hospitality and praise
- Time Needed
- 1 to 2 hours
A sick man received as a guest
Two churches and the small domestic spaces keep the visit close to ordinary hospitality. Francis came here ill. The people still sought him out, and the host’s vineyard entered the story of his stay.
Francis and this place
The custodian’s account places Francis here in 1225 before treatment for his eyes at Fonte Colombo. It cites the Perugia account for the crowd consuming the priest’s grapes and the Little Flowers for the abundant wine that followed Francis’s prayer. These are Franciscan accounts of hospitality and grace.
A connection with parts of the Canticle of the Creatures is proposed by some scholars and received in the sanctuary’s devotion. La Foresta should not be presented as the certain birthplace of the whole Canticle.
San Fabiano and Santa Maria are distinct churches within one sanctuary. The Domus, winepress remains, cloister, and steps toward the remembered place of prayer carry the smaller scale of the visit. The buildings preserve several periods, rather than one unchanged medieval moment.
Spiritual Significance
Hospitality becomes costly when the crowd arrives. The vineyard tradition remembers that cost without making the host’s welcome disappear behind the miracle.
Do Not Miss
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01
San Fabiano and Santa Maria
Read the two churches as different layers of one sanctuary.
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02
The Domus
The sanctuary identifies this as the place of Francis’s lodging; winepress remains belong to the vineyard story.
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03
The smaller prayer spaces
Steps lead beyond the cloister. Ask about access before following the complete route.
Visit Plans
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1 Hour
Pray in the main church and visit the public spaces closest to it.
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2 Hours
Include the smaller spaces when access and footing permit, leaving time for prayer.
How to Visit
Arrange a guided visit through the sanctuary when desired. Check the current visiting periods and public worship separately. Ask before entering community spaces; follow the visitor route rather than treating the residence as an open museum.
The sanctuary and its smaller spaces
Confirm public access and liturgy with the sanctuary before setting out. The visit allowances below are Eternal Roam planning estimates.
- Address
- Via Foresta 30, 02100 Rieti, Italy
- Time needed
- About 1–2 hours for the main sanctuary
Before setting out
Parts of the visitor route have steps. Ask which rooms and prayer spaces are suitable if mobility is limited, and keep the churches as the shorter visit.
Check the current worship and visitor periods separately. Services and the community’s work can restrict access to individual rooms.
The current sanctuary page explicitly states that Mondo X does not host pilgrims overnight or provide meals. Arrange both elsewhere.
Connected Saints
Continue Your Pilgrimage
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Sacred place
Sanctuary of Greccio
Another sanctuary of the Rieti Valley; allow a separate road transfer.
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Sacred place
Sanctuary of Fonte Colombo
Another sanctuary of the Rieti Valley; allow a separate road transfer.
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Sacred place
Sanctuary of Poggio Bustone
Another sanctuary of the Rieti Valley; allow a separate road transfer.
Map
La Foresta: Perugia account and later Little Flowers distinguished; Canticle composition remains uncertain. Current visitor contacts override older directories. History and access follow the current sanctuary page, the Franciscan province and the Diocese of Rieti vademecum. Exact rock locations and devotional signs remain sanctuary tradition. No bodily relic custody is asserted.
October 7, 2026