THE VIA FRANCIGENA
This great cultural route of Europe extends around 2200 kilometres between Canterbury and Rome and passes through 5 countries – England, France, Switzerland, Italy and The Vatican State.
It ranks with the greatest pilgrim paths of the world.
THE VF – FRANCE – SWITZERLAND
From the seat of the Anglican Church in Canterbury to that of the Roman Catholic Church, the pilgrim on the VF walks the North Downs Way to the White Cliffs of Dover, disembarks in Calais and follows the broad rolling countryside of Northern France.
The path goes onward to the great cathedral cities of Leon and Reims and through the vineyards of Champagne to glimpse at last the foothills of the Jura with their gorges, cascades and forests.
Cross into Switzerland with distant views of the snow capped Alps and onward through Lausanne and round Lake Geneva to the ever narrowing valley of the mighty Rhone.
THE VF – SWITZERLAND – ITALY
THE GREAT SAINT BERNARD PASS
At halfway point – geographically and psychologically – in the pilgrimage the traveller crosses the Alps with the shades of Hannibal and Napoleon at the GSB to rest a night at the hospice where monks have welcomed travellers for more than a millennium.
And then down through the spectacular Val d’Aosta to find the misty wastelands and rice fields of the PO plain. One of the highlights for many pilgrims is crossing the vast PO river.
After Fidenza the Apennines present the next challenge and as the traveller crosses the Pass della Cisa they will glimpse the Mediterranean shining in the distance and rejoice knowing they have walked from sea to sea.
Now the pilgrim is in beautiful Tuscany, walking through the famed landscape of cypresses, Olives, Vineyards. Through the glories of Lucca and Siena.
Up to the landmark heights of the fortress of Radicofani and into Lazio and so to Rome.
THE VF – VERSUS – THE CAMINOS
It is not only in infrastructure that the Vf differs from the casinos. The VF route is far les known, especially in France and therefore more likely to be solitary.
In Italy, especially Tuscany and the final 100km to Rome in Lazio, the route is popular and it would be unusual not to meet others.
DIFFICULTY
It is not a difficult walk. By the time a pilgrim encounters the Jura mountains they will be walking fit after nearly 4 weeks.
The GSB is in reality a long slog uphill with no tricky sections and similarly the Cisa Pass the gateway into Tuscany is not particularly steep.
Any effort is more than amply compensated by the intense beauty of this ancient path and its rich variety of scenery and experience.