After we leave the beautiful mountains of the Alps behind, we descend through the foothills of Piedmont and enter the flatlands of the Po Valley.
For hundreds of kilometres, we walk among flooded rice paddies and follow canals, past abandoned and now derelict Cascine, farm complexes where peasant families lived and worked their entire life under the control of the farm owner.
The Po River was once regarded as a hallowed container of folklore, legend and memory. But human intervention and climate-induced drought have drastically reduced the flow of the once mighty Po. At least 30% of this year’s rice crop is already lost and in some places, the river has completely disappeared. For the first time in decades, the ferry that takes Via Francigena pilgrims across Sigeric’s ford on the Po River has been suspended.
The big skies and endless horizons empty our minds. With each step, thought falls away. Nothing intrudes on the flatness of the landscape except the birds that are our grace; herons, cranes, ducks, cormorants, egrets and the rare red heron. Ascending as we pass by, then landing again to forage in the flooded fields and marshlands.
Hills begin to appear on the horizon. The sun highlights the great dome of the Pavia cathedral, the third largest dome in Italy. Mist lies low in the valley. A beaver swims in the green water of the canal. A murmuration of starlings, so wondrous it stops us in our tracks.
We notice a well-dressed young man walking in the opposite direction. He stops and asks if we know of a village where he can get something to eat. There’s something otherworldly about him; he’s like an angel from another realm lost in modern-day Italy.
Cool green forests. Forts and ruined castles. Orchards and undulating fields of rolled hay take the place of rice and corn fields. Villages of pink and terracotta houses glow in the soft morning light.
The track winds gently upwards for a time until the climbing begins in earnest. The crossing of the Apennines at Cisa Pass is our hardest day on the Via Francigena. The ascent is steep. The descent is rocky, relentless and, at times, treacherous. The consolations are the spectacular views of razor-sharp mountain peaks, hidden valleys, forested slopes and high pastures. The tinkling of goat bells. The scent of wild horses.
We cross into Tuscany on a still summer Sunday. The warm air is fragrant with wild mint and rosemary. Mediaeval hilltop villages cling to rocky ridge lines. Olive groves and Cypress pine dot the landscape. From up high we look out onto steeply terraced vineyards, lush green vegetation and, in the distance, the blue shimmer of the ocean. Late in the afternoon, we take a local bus to the beach and immerse ourselves in the salty Ligurian Sea. Floating out to sea and letting the waves wash us back onto the shore.
The white Apuan peaks in the background look ice-encrusted. They are in fact glistening white Carrara marble; the raw material of the Renaissance, famed for its quality and beauty. Michelangelo made many trips to Carrara to select pieces of stone for his works, including the statue of David. I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
The stylish, arty town of Pietrasanta. Lucca with its shady piazzas, Puccini concerts and 12-metre-high ramparts. In Tuscany, the Via Francigena leads back to the Middle Ages. It played an important role in the trading between the Orient and the West, giving new life to ancient cities like Lucca and Siena and determining the flourishing of other settlements like San Gimignano and San Miniato. We’ve now walked 1,600 kilometres on the Via Francigena. From here we’ll continue on through a landscape painted into being by artists and come to know Tuscany by its beauty.
The next stage of our journey: Via Francigena: All Roads Lead to Rome
Go to the start of our journey: Via Francigena: the beginning.
Your thoughts about your walking are so poetic, I want to go right now. I am preparing for the Via di Francesco this June but reading your thoughts, I’m already thinking about doing this big one next year. I’ve done pretty demanding hikes all over the world and 2 Caminos in Spain but a pilgrimage beats any hike; there’s something else that ‘wanders’ along with you. Thank you for your words!
Oh, and I am looking for a packing list, you may have. I am a minimalist and saw the various clothes you are wearing in the photos and wonder how you only got 7kgs, I usually max at 9 but would like to have much less.
Thanks for being such an appreciative reader, Eve. And yes, you’re right, there is something about a pilgrimage that is different to a hike. We’ll send you our packing list but what we carry is all lightweight which helps with keeping our packs down below 7 kg. All the best with your preparations for the Via di Francesco. Buon cammino!
Hi Eve
This may not be an absolutely complete packing list but the main items are covered. All the gear is light, quick drying and, apart from the Tshirts, all synthetic (the list is per person):
– Trail runners. On the Via Francigena, we purchased new shoes in Pontarlia (Hoka / La Sportiva)
– Birkenstock plastic thongs (light-weight, dry quickly and have a little more protection/style than standard thongs/flipflops)
– 3 pairs of socks (we kept one pair for après-walking)
– 2 pairs of walking trousers (again we generally kept one pair clean for the evenings/rest days)
– 4/5 pairs of underpants (the extra pair/s meant that we didn’t have to do washing every day)
– 1 light merino Tshirt
– 2 long-sleeved shirts (one for walking, one for après walking & rest days)
– 1 light zip-up fleece
– 1 broad-brimmed hat
– 1 rain jacket (Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite)
– 1 pair of rain pants (of questionable value, except on one or two days when it poured down)
– 1 water bottle (occasionally we carried a second when we know it would be hot and dry; otherwise we took our chances)
We also carried an additional base layer, down vest and a beanie for the Alps and posted them to the UK as soon as we entered Italy (the postage turned out to be expensive as we had to pay UK import duty thanks to Brexit). We didn’t need them at St Bernard’s Pass as the weather was benign, but mountains being mountains, we might have needed them.
Then there’s electronic gear (including phone and small compact camera), basic first aid, toiletries, etc. Our one luxury item was a lightweight hiking umbrella: we found it very useful for sun protection and we used it in the rain.
We carried no books. (Maps & guidebooks were on the phone).
Packs: Exped Lightening 60L / Dueter Speed Lite 30L.
We found this pack list from a guy who walked across America and recently walked the Overland Track: total dry weight 4.5 kg!
Best wishes for your packing and walking.
Buen Camino
Hi, just to confirm, you didn’t need to bring a sleeping bag with you? Was bedding supplied in all the places you stayed?
Hi Esther
We carried a silk sleeping bag liner but not a sleeping bag. The albergue-style places we stayed required that we had a sleeping sheet/liner (some supplied disposable sets) while blankets, etc were supplied where needed (it was pretty warm as we moved through Italy).
Buen Camino
Michael & Anna
I found your blog on the Facebook group Hikers of the World, 50+ age group. I’m so interested in following your journey as I hope to walk the Via Francigena from Lucca to Rome next summer (2023). I walked the Camino de Santiago in fall of 2018 and am looking forward to another long walk. Nice to meet you on here, and best to you in your wanderings. 🙂 ~ Cathy
Thanks Cathy we’re so pleased that our story is useful to you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions as you prepare for your walk.
Buen Camino!
I had to read this twice to soak it all in
Ciao xx
We’re pleased you enjoyed reading it. Hopefully it brought back some memories of Tuscany.
Wow, it all looks so beautiful, so very envious. Freezing here so all those sunny images are making me wish for the sunshine here too. Stay well and happy, we miss you, cheers M&C
Wish we could send you a little Tuscan sunshine, there’s plenty to go around 🌞
Thank you, very nice scenery and good to know that in spite of the heat you are still walking. Can hardly wait utill september to start walking again. Ciao christina
We’ve been lucky to avoid the heatwaves to date Christina. Still, it’s good to be out on the trail early, while there’s still some coolness in the air. Hope all is going well planning wise for the second part of your journey on the Via Francigena.
Fabulous to read (and see pics). Thanks A&M. xx
Thanks Nola.
Anna and Michael. Another great read, especially on a Saturday morning after a trip to the market. I find an underling stillness, a quietness in your words, that grounds your story. A balm after recent news clips on the assassination of Shinzo Abe, the resignation of Boris, floods up north and the relentless roll on of Covid. Love to you both.
Thank you Bernadette and love to you and all your dearest.
Wonderful. Thank you. x
Thanks Rose.
Another great trek. I’m loving all your posts; llving them all vicariously. Unfortunately, health issues are preventing me following in your footsteps (for now). I hope you’re managing to keep at least one step away from covid.
What mechanism are you using for the hands-free umbrella?
Thanks for the positive feedback, it’s greatly appreciated.
We hope your health is resolved quickly and you’re soon on the trail again.
The umbrellas are fixed with three lengths of shockcord + plastic toggles (Anna also uses the chest strap sometimes). Let us know if you want more detailed info/photos. Ciao