Cascia: Sanctuary, Churches and Paths Through the Landscape

Cascia combines religious architecture with paths through a mountainous landscape. When planning your trip, the Santa Rita Sanctuary, historic churches and nature experiences take centre stage. Mountain biking and e-bike tours are also available. You can tailor your stay to your interests in sacred architecture, hiking trails or cycling.

The Santa Rita Sanctuary

The basilica of the Santa Rita Sanctuary is a modern 20th-century building. Its construction took nine years. The body of Saint Rita lies in the Chapel of Santa Rita, in a crystal urn dating from 1930. The basilica and the chapel thus represent different aspects of the sanctuary: a modern building and a religious memorial with a specific date of origin.

If the religious focus is what matters most to you, these details can help put your visit to the sanctuary into context. The basilica’s construction period and design also differ markedly from those of Cascia’s older churches. When planning your trip, you can therefore take into account both the religious significance of the site and its different historical associations.

Historic churches and their architectural history

The Collegiata di Santa Maria stands within the walled town, next to Porta Leonina. It was built in the 12th century, and traces of its original Romanesque structure remain in its north wall. Its construction period and surviving masonry give the church a different historical context from the modern basilica of the sanctuary.

Another date concerns the first church founded in Cascia and dedicated to the saint of Assisi: its foundation is dated to 1247. This year refers to that church, not to the construction date of the Collegiata di Santa Maria. So, when exploring Cascia’s religious history, you encounter several building histories and dates rather than just one building.

Paths through the landscape and surrounding area

The Sentiero di Santa Rita starts at the Church of Santa Maria in Piazza Garibaldi and leads to Roccaporena. Its route along the hillside above the meadows and the Corno valley links a named trail with a specific description of the landscape. This gives you both the starting point and destination, as well as information about the surroundings along the way, to help with your planning.

The mountains surrounding Cascia also have a network of paths through ancient forests and along clear streams. Sudden viewpoints are another feature of this landscape. The Sentiero di Santa Rita and the network of paths offer different ways to choose an excursion: the former focuses on the route to Roccaporena, while the latter highlights the landscape of the surrounding mountains.

Mountain bike and e-bike tours for all difficulty levels are offered in Cascia, with bike and equipment rental and expert guidance. Tour availability may vary. The MTB 20 route is a separate option: it leads from Cascia towards San Giorgio and later follows a narrow mule track, from which Cascia can be seen. The tours focus on guidance and rentals, while the MTB 20 description focuses on the route and the view of the town.

Getting there and choosing a hotel

You can reach the sanctuary by an outer road that loops around Cascia, or from the town centre via an escalator system. You can travel to Cascia by car, coach, train or plane. When planning your journey, check the specific routes and times for your starting point and travel date.

You can then compare the locations and specific details of each hotel’s offerings. This lets you search according to the interests that genuinely matter for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Villa, Cortaccione, Santo Stefano dei Piccioni, Montelovesco, Casamaggiore, Mantignana, Cannara, San Feliciano

Return to the main travel overview: Perugia.