The Via Francigena is an ancient road and pilgrimage route from the English cathedral city of Canterbury to Rome, Italy’s Eternal City. The 2,000-kilometre way was first documented by Sigeric the Serious, Archbishop of Canterbury. In 990 AD he travelled to Rome and back for his consecration using a network of Roman roads originally constructed to facilitate trade and conquest.
Just as Sigeric did, we start our journey at Canterbury Cathedral. In the hush of early evening, we stand with Canon Emma Pennington by the eternal candle that marks where Thomas Becket’s body once lay. She prays that on the hard days on the Via Francigena we find the perseverance and strength to continue and on the days that the sun shines and the birds sing we open our hearts to the world and know its beauty.
We will need her intercession. Three days before our scheduled crossing of the Channel, P&O cancelled our passage. The only ferry company to take foot passengers, it has just sacked 800 of its staff and its vessels are being detained over safety concerns. There’s another ferry company that allows cyclists on board so we scramble to find two second-hand bicycles. We find one BMX bike with foot pegs at a car boot sale and decide that we’ll risk trying to get on the ferry with one of us riding and the other standing on the back pegs. Can we get away with it? We’re not sure.
The First Day
A last wander through the Cathedral. A choir is rehearsing and glorious voices soar heavenwards. As the rain comes down, we pause for photos at the hard-to-find Via Francigena zero stone before setting off.
We follow the Pilgrim’s Way through Canterbury and out into rural Kent, the garden of England, with its abundance of orchards and hop gardens. The Oast houses that were once used for drying the hops still have a presence in the landscape with their striking design and distinctive cone-shaped cowls.
Just beyond the city centre is St Martins Church, the oldest church in the English-speaking world. Dating back to 597 AD, it is part Roman, part Saxon and has had a continuing musical tradition since the time of the monks of St Augustine.
Quaint villages nestle in green valleys just off the snarling motorway. We follow public footpaths and bridleways through fields, farms and remnant patches of bluebell woodland. On a hill overlooking ploughed fields is a wooden seat that is a carved representation of the contours of the Via Francigena. The rain clears, the air warms and with each step, we come closer to finding the rhythm of our walk to Rome.
Additional photography by Geoffrey Blyth
See the next stage: Via Francigena: Crossing from Dover to Calais
I am looking at doing the Francigena from Canterbury to Rome. We need to shave off a week or two for time are there any particular sections that you would recommend taking transport (train or bus) to accomplish this ?
Hi Joseph
A couple of thoughts on how to get to Rome in your allotted time:
1. We met people who had worked out how much time they had and then worked backwards from Rome to find their start point.
2. Paul Chinn of Lightfoot guides has published a short article on the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome website outlining the situation and says a longer article will appear in the Confratunity’s upcoming newsletter. The French association’s accommodation booklet also details some shorter routes that more closely follow Sigeric’s journey.
3. We think it would be feasible for most people to shave close to a week off by straightening the route (Paul Chinn also says 200 km / 7 days is possible). We really liked the fact that there isn’t one true path and making our own way via various route variations was a part of the experience of walking the Via Francigena at this point in history (before it, perhaps, becomes more codified).
4. It’s really difficult to select sections to skip as once we start to look back we see things in every section that we enjoyed. However, the easiest way to save 3 days could be to start in Calais which is a natural starting point for many Europeans. The day or two after Aaras takes you through some of the Western Front battlefields and cemeteries which we found very interesting, from there (Perronne?) you could consider skipping to Reims saving 6 or 7 days. A few people don’t enjoy the flat lands of the Po River, so you consider skipping some of the section between Pont St Martin to Pavia and again it would be possible to save a 6-7 days.
So in summary, have a good look at the available information, plan where you can easily shave some days off and, if you need to, consider starting in Calais, skipping some of the French section between Aaaas and Reims and/or skipping some of the Po Valley.
We’re happy to provide a copy of our walking itinerary and list of accommodations, just send us a request via the contact form on this site.
Let us know if we can assist further.
Buon Cammino
Michael e Anna
May I ask what guide book/navigation have you used during all the way to Rome please?
Hi, we used the Lightfoot guide from Canterbury to Saint Bernards Pass and the then the Cicerone guides to Rome. In both cases we had the electronic versions (to reduce weight). We used the GPX tracks from the guide books on Gaia GPS and also used the official app.
It sounds complicated but they all have their advantages:
We found that the Lightfoot guides gave a better range of route options and thier GPX tracks are particularly good.
The Cicerone e-guides are a slicker production and we found a little easier to use on our phones.
The official app is good and it’s free but it can be a little cumbersome and only gives the official trail which as not always the most practical option (we had to make variations to find accommodation at times).
We also had the French association’s accommodation guide, which we highly recommend.
In case you haven’t seen our mini-guide https://our-wanderlust.com/2023/01/six-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-via-francigena/
Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Hi I will start walking from Lucca to Rome can you please tell what kind of food wear do you recomende?
Hi Cecilia
We walked the Via Francigena in trail runners. Hoka and La Sportiva were the brands we wore but we think that the critical factor is to find a high-quality brand/model that suits your feet.
Good trail runners provide support while also being light (and you lift your feet up a lot on a long walk so even a relatively small difference in weight can make a big difference to how your legs cope).
Enjoy, it’s a fabulous walk south from Lucca. Hopefully you have the time to allow a day to explore Lucca before you set off.
Michael e Anna
Love the border crossing story
Thanks Bob, it sure was an adventure!
So exciting!
You have a new follower. Keep them coming.
Lease keep the bulletins going, dear neighbours. walking the walk with you is a gift.
Jenny G
Great start to your journey. Will be following you as I am starting in 6 weeks
Helen
We hope your Channel crossing is smoother than ours and your walk is all you dream of.
Bon Chemin
Beautiful.. can’t wait for the next instalment ❤️
A wonderful beginning. Walk well dear friends
Great meeting you both in Velletri, your a lovely couple!
We look forward to walking together again another day.
Buon cammino