Eremo francescano, Franciscan hermitage on Monteluco hill, Italy.

Eremo francescano is a monastery complex situated on a hillside at approximately 800 meters elevation, featuring multiple chapels, a central courtyard with a water well, and thick stone walls. The various buildings are connected by narrow pathways and demonstrate the simple construction style typical of such hermitage settlements.

Syrian hermits established the first religious settlement on this site during the 5th century, long before Francis of Assisi arrived in 1218. His visit marked a turning point and led to the mountain becoming a major center of the Franciscan movement.

The name Monteluco is not explained in the sources, but the mountain's sacred wood and natural caves were used by hermits from early Christian times. In 1218 Francis of Assisi received a small chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria from the Benedictines of San Giuliano and built cells of holm oak branches, wicker, mud and lime. Paoluccio Trinci, who died here in 1391, is buried in the convent; his body was returned in the Jubilee of 2000.

The site is quite remote and requires some physical effort to walk the uphill paths, especially if climbing from Spoleto below. Visitors should wear appropriate footwear and be prepared for windy and cool conditions at the summit, even on warm days in the city.

The hermitage's cells were built by Francis and his followers from holm oak branches, wicker, mud and lime, forming the first core of the retreat. In 1556 Michelangelo, then over eighty, stayed here briefly to recover his strength, as he wrote to Vasari on 18 December 1556.