The real Via Francigena

The actual ancient Via Francigena is mostly now buried under the concrete and asphalt that make up the modern roads connecting the towns through which we walk. There are sections in the old cities which are close to original in some places but most have been re-cobbled over the centuries. Like most pilgrimage routes the VF has been re-routed through farm lanes, along dykes and back roads to make the walking safe and interesting for modern pilgrims. The towns are the same but the actual route is quite different. The walking is great but you don't quite have the sense that this was the very road that thousands of pilgrims have walked before and that Sigeric himself walked home from Rome.

There are a couple of exceptions, and we enjoyed a couple of kilometers of one of these today. A section of ancient Roman road has been preserved between Altopascio and Galleno through an old forest. This is the actual pilgrim trail used by the Roman army, missionaries and pilgrims going North and South, Sigeric himself and the Knights of the Tau as they travelled to maintain the bridge over the Arno. We walked this today and you could almost sense the history come alive.