Santa Maria delle Grazie and San Valentino
This detour, which involves a nice walk of some 4 km (50 minutes), begins and ends at the junction of Via XX Settembre and Corso del Popolo (see Walk I).
Cross Via XX Settembre and take the second turning on the right, along Via Mario Alberto. Cross Via Giuseppe di Vittorio and continue along what has become Via delle Grazie. Follow it around the terrace of the public gardens, past the fountain on the left. An earlier fountain here, which was known as the Fonte delle Grazie, was instrumental in the decision to found the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie (see below) here in 1471.
Continue along the path, fork left and then turn left into the gardens: the church and ex-convent of
Santa Maria delle Grazie are above on your right. Retrace your steps to the exit from the gardens and turn left along what is now Via dell, Amore, which is named for St Valentine, the patron saint of lovers. Follow it around the walls of the convent and then turn right along the path that runs towards the busy main road (Viale Trento).
Turn right into the park before this road, and take the path that runs parallel to it. Follow it as it turns to the left and then turn right along the red jogging track.
You can see the back of
San Valentino ahead. Continue along the path and then cross the main road to see the church. (The gate in the metal fence around it is to your left).
Retrace your steps to the junction of Via XX Settembre and Corso del Popolo, where the detour ends.
Santa Maria del Monumento
This detour of some 2 km (30 minutes) begins and ends at Porta Sant’ Angelo (Walk I).
Pass through Porta Sant’ Angelo. An inscription (ca. 340 AD) that was found here, which is now in the Museo Archeologico, is on the base of a statue (now lost) that the council of Interamna erected to its patron, Iulius Eubulidas, the governor of the province of Tuscia et Umbria. (The inscription is also described in the page Inscriptions from Umbria in the Roman Empire).
Continue along Viale Porta Sant’ Angelo. Keep to the left and cross two busy roads: Viale Giacomo Leopardi and Viale dello Stadio. This modern sculpture called Hyperion, by
Agapto Miniucchi, is on the roundabout at the junction of Viale Porta Sant’ Angelo and Viale dello Stadio.
Viale dello Stadio is named for the stadium (Stadio Libero Liberati) to the left, which is in turn named for the famous motorcyclist, Libero Liberati (died 1962). His monument by
Carlo Lorenzetti is in front of the stadium.
Continue on the left side of busy Viale Borzacchini: as you cross the railway line, you can see the entrance to the cemetery and the church of
Santa Maria del Monumento below and to your left. Take the next left to see the church.
Return to the Porta Sant’ Angelo, where the detour ends.
Santa Maria dell’ Oro
This detour of about 8 km return starts and ends at Porta Spoletina (see Walk II). It takes about 90 minutes on foot, so you might prefer to take a taxi. However, if the weather is fine, it is a lovely walk once you are clear of the city.
Continue along Via Eugenio Chiesa and take the second turning on the left, along Via Piemonte. Cross the railway line and then cross the busy Viale Ettore Proietti Divi. Continue ahead, following the sign to the church, up the relatively steep Strada Rosario.
Turn left after about 2 km (signed) along Strada di Palmetta and ....
left again (following another sign) along Via Colle dell'Oro.
Return to Porta Spoletina, where the detour ends.
