The via Francigena

At the beginning of the second millennium in Europe a lot of pilgrims got moving looking for the lost “heavenly homeland”. Today we are able to rebuild this itinerary thanks to a document left from Sigerico, Canterbury’s Archbishop, who in 994 wrote, coming back from Rome to diocese, his diary of the stages concerned his travelling. Is for that document that, to-day, we can exactly rebuild the ancient travellers adventures. Like the middle ages monks described the via Francigena: an itinerary, crossing the history, from Canterbury to Rome, passing by the Tuscia. The via Francigena that winds from the Alps to Valle d’Aosta, goes down from the Piedmont and the Lombardy into Pianura Padana, crosses the Apennines, and then crosses Tuscany and Lazio.All the territories, in the Tuscia, touched by the pilgrims itinerary indicate a culture and a religious sense, deeply rooted, and every country is conscious to be an important crossing point, and continually covered. The localities that were head of bridge for the pilgrims directed to Rome:

Acquapendente, represented an important stop for the pilgrims, thanks to a precious relic carried from the saint-earth, preserved, today, into the Cathedral’s under ground;

Bolsena, where happened the Corpus Domini’s miracle, that we celebrate often, in many situations, of the year;

Montefiascone, medieval centre, well known for his wine Est! Est!! Est!!! that is worth the effort to taste during the travelling;
Viterbo, cardinal point of the journey where built accomodations, break points and churches, historic and cultural heritage;
From the Lago di Vico, continuing the ancient journey, are visibile the chestnut’s woods near the Cistercense’s Abbey of San Martino al Cimino, then continue for:
Vetralla, Capranica, Sutri, Monterosi until, leaving the via Cassia keeping up the via Trionfale: and finally welcome to Rome. Three were the attraction’s pole: Rome, the Terra Santa and Santiago di Compostela.

Rome, where the Saints Peter and Paul, founders of Christian community, were had their martyrdom; The Terra Santa, the Golgota’s seat, where there was the Christ passion;

Santiago di Compostela, tip of western of Europe, where the Apostle San Giacomo wanted to rest in peace.