Tourists holidaying anywhere in the north of Italy are sure to enjoy a day or two of walking along the famous Via Francigena path to the Vatican City in Rome. This ancient route is believed to originate in France, hence the name Via Francigena meaning ‘The road that comes from France’. But many historians believe that the route begins as far away as Canterbury in England and runs through France, Switzerland and finally down through Italy into Rome. Tourists wishing to walk along part of this fascinating pilgrim pathway have a huge array of accommodation along Via Francigena, especially in Italy.
Tourists will learn as they travel along this historic road that it’s built along monasteries, abbeys, shrines and chapels rather than through towns and cities where many weary travellers stop and rest. If you’ve requested a pilgrim’s passport, called a credenziale from a priest you may even be granted a ‘spedale’ which is a bed for a night and perhaps even a meal before setting out on the route the following day.
The Via Francigena is not your average Roman built route leading directly to its destination. It’s more like a woven set of roads that tourists can decide to take depending on what religious sites, medieval towns or scenery they’d like to see. Although less than two thousand pilgrims are thought to travel the entire route of over 1,200 miles every year, many thousands of tourists enjoy walking some of the better signposted sections, especially through Tuscany.
Trek across the Alps, through the famous St. Bernard’s path but ensure to have a great set of hiking boots, a stick and a well detailed map of Via Francigena before you begin! Enjoy walking along the edge of towns like Sutri, an Etruscan stronghold over three thousand years old.
The Via Francigena is not your average Roman built route leading directly to its destination. It’s more like a woven set of roads that tourists can decide to take depending on what religious sites, medieval towns or scenery they’d like to see. Although less than two thousand pilgrims are thought to travel the entire route of over 1,200 miles every year, many thousands of tourists enjoy walking some of the better signposted sections, especially through Tuscany.
Trek across the Alps, through the famous St. Bernard’s path but ensure to have a great set of hiking boots, a stick and a well detailed map of Via Francigena before you begin! Enjoy walking along the edge of towns like Sutri, an Etruscan stronghold over three thousand years old.
The Via Francigena also runs along Tuscan towns like Castelfiorentino, Certaldo, Poggibonsi, Monteriggioni and then onto the city of Siena. Afterwards, why not visit and stay in a villa rental in Montalcino or Radicofani on your way down to Rome.
This religious pilgrimage is a beautiful winding path that will lead visitors through chestnut woods, olive tree orchards, vineyards, streams, rivers and up and down many hills! The final point of this epic journey is at the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City within Rome.
This superb adventure could be the perfect theme for your Italian holiday as it is one of the finest ways to see and experience the very best of Italian food, culture, history and scenery!
This religious pilgrimage is a beautiful winding path that will lead visitors through chestnut woods, olive tree orchards, vineyards, streams, rivers and up and down many hills! The final point of this epic journey is at the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City within Rome.
This superb adventure could be the perfect theme for your Italian holiday as it is one of the finest ways to see and experience the very best of Italian food, culture, history and scenery!
