Day One:
Meet in Orvieto at the Grand Hotel Italia.
With direct train service running from Rome, Orvieto is
easy to reach. It is a stunning town dating back to
Etruscan times and definitely worth arriving early to
explore. The Archaeological Museum is located in what
was once a Papal Palace from the 1300’s where popes
sought refuge from the intrigues of Rome. Here, and in
ancient caves, one sees remnants of Etruscan life from
600BC and also from days of the Roman Empire.
But Orvieto is not just
about history – its wine is some of Italy’s best and the
town is known for its participation in the “Slow Food”
movement which emphasizes using the best local
ingredients, traditional cooking methods and leisurely
dining. We meet at the hotel at 4.00 PM, have a
short walk to see Orvieto then an aperitif before
dinner. GRAND HOTEL ITALIA
Day Two: Radicofani to Proceno (Overnight
again in Orvieto) 20
km (can be reduced to 11)
Our private bus takes us to our starting point on the
Via Francigena at Radicofani. In this town
rises one of the most impressive medieval fortresses of
Italy. In the days of pilgrimage the castle was the
symbol of defence. The town was a stopover
and safe haven for pilgrims and stories are told of the
Italian version of Robin Hood,
Ghino di
Tacco, the "Gentleman
Bandit" who robbed the rich but spared
the poor. Today's walk from Radicofani is through one of most
wild and beautiful sections of the Via Francigena with
Mount Amiata in the background. At the hamlet of
Ponte a Rigo our bus awaits and after lunch there is an
option of another 9 km walk to the town of Proceno
(Those who wish can continue by our support bus). Although
Procena changed rulers
frequently over the centuries, today the small town
appears little altered since medieval times.
Return by coach to Orvieto.
GRAND
HOTEL ITALIA
Day Three: Acquapendente to Bolsena 19 km (can be
reduced to 11)
Today we start our walk at Acquapendente. In the
middle ages a Benedictine monastery was built here and
it became a stopping place for pilgrims. The town
was known as the "Jerusalem of Europe" because its
cathedral was said to contain fragments of stone from
the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Our starting point is
actually a few km outside the town. The challenge walkers start here while the easy
walkers continue by bus to San Lorenzo Nuovo. The
longer walk passes
through a territory which is rich
in Etruscan archaeological finds. From
San Lorenzo di Nuovo it is an easy 11 km walk to
the town of Bolsena and soon the
sparkling waters of Lake Bolsena come into view. Arriving
in Bolsena there is a chance to visit Monaldeschi Castle
and a museum dedicated to the original Etruscan
settlement, the Romans and the Middle Ages. Or you may
prefer to forget history and enjoy the lakeside cafes
and gelato shops along the promenade. Overnight at the lakefront HOTEL
LORIANA PARK
Day Four: Bolsena to Montefiascone 18 km (can be
reduced to 12)
From Bolsena to Montefiascone the Via Francigena leads
through lovely countryside, wooded areas and olive
groves that produce some of Italy’s finest olive oil. Some of
the walk is on what was once a Roman road and one can
still see original Roman paving stones. The walled town
of Montefiascone is atop a hill with views of the lovely
surrounding countryside and it has changed
little since medieval times. You can visit the
cathedral and admire the frescoes depicting early
martyrs or you can explore the remains of the old Papal
summer residence.
If you sample the local wine you
will no doubt hear the story of how it got its
name “Est!Est!!Est!!!”. Legends says that a
medieval bishop who was travelling the Via Francigena
sent his valet ahead to choose lodging that
would serve good wine. The valet was to mark the door with a
secret code “est” (Latin for “it is”). When the valet
came to Montefiascone he found the wine so good he wrote
“Est! Est!! Est!!!”. Local vintners have kept that
name and the town still has a reputation for
its wine We return for the night to
HOTEL LORIANA PARK
Day Five: Montefiascone to Viterbo 12 km
Today’s walk is short so we can reach Viterbo with
enough time and energy to explore the town. The walk is on a
plain that divides Lake Bolsena from the Cimini
Mountains and a highlight is the Bagnaccio thermal pools
where we have a chance for a dip or at least to dabble
our toes in the six
steamy therapeutic pools. From the
pools we travel by bus to avoid walking through suburbs
of Viterbo and to give us time to explore
this
well preserved medieval town. Every twist and
turn of the old quarter's narrow streets provides a feast for the eyes.
There are several great museums, beautiful churches and
pretty piazzas to enjoy but and the biggest attraction
is the Papal Palace.
Viterbo is
called "La Citta' dei Papi" (the City of Popes) and we
hear stories of popes and anti-popes, treachery and
intrigue. The small
museum has displays of Cathedral relics including a
reliquary which claims to contain the
chin of John the Baptist. But there is more to Viterbo than history and relics. The centre of
the town is a treasure trove of gelaterias, cafes, piazzas and fountains.
HOTEL MINI PALACE
Day Six: Viterbo to Vetralla 18 km
(can be reduced to 12)
This morning’s walk
starts just outside Viterbo through a canyon cut into
soft rock. It then takes us through pretty farmland,
mostly flat, with views of the hills in the distance.
As we near Vetralla
we encounter an old church
which is built on the ruins of an ancient staging post
that, in medieval times, offered hospitality to pilgrims
and travellers, including Archbishop Sigeric (the
first person to map the trail) in the year 990. The
approach to Vetralla is uphill and local legend says that
in Biblical times Noah,
escaping the flood, ran
his Ark aground here and availed himself of the
excellent wines. From Vetralla we return to Viterbo for the night but we take
a side-trip to the town of Caprarola where we
find the spectacular Renaissance mansion of Villa
Farnese, once home of the powerful Farnese family.
The region around Caprarola is
famous for its production of hazelnuts so if you are a
fan of Nutella you will love Nutella
(hazelnut/chocolate) gelato.
HOTEL MINI PALACE
Day Seven: Vetralla to Sutri
20 km (can be reduced to 14)
This morning our bus returns us to Vetralla to
continue our walk. Today’s trail starts through hazelnut
groves and then is on shady forest trails through a
nature reserve. Eventually we pass the "Torri d'Orlando", three ruined towers built along the ancient Via Cassia. The
towers were once Roman tombs and there is a legend
surrounding them that dates back to Roland, one of
Charlemagne’s warriors. The last part of the trail as we approach Sutri is along
a stream in the woods and then we find the
picturesque town of Sutri. During
Roman times it occupied a commanding position on the
road to Etruria and one can still see a well-preserved
Roman amphitheatre built in the year 1 BC, an Etruscan
necropolis from 600 BC and a Cathedral that incorporates
an ancient Mithraeum that dates back to
Roman times and worship of the mysterious god Mithras.
HOTEL ANTICO BORGO
Day Eight: Sutri to Campagnano di Roma 23 km
(can be shortened to 12 km)
From Sutri the Via Francigena leads us along quiet
country lanes and forest trails to the town of Monterosi.
Here you may want to sample the delicious local
specialty "pizzantiella" which is best described as
crepes stuffed with local cheese and sausage. From here
the trail continues to Monte Gelato, a lovely wooded
area with pretty waterfalls and then on to the town of
Campagnano di Roma. This town's medieval borgo has
narrow winding streets lined with pastel coloured
palazzi, shops and coffee bars.
Il POSTIGLIONE
Day Nine: Campagnano di Roma to Formello 10 km
Monte Mario to St Peters 7 km
Today's walk starts through Veio Park, a 70 sq km
nature reserve. At the town of Formello our bus awaits us. By using the bus for this
section we avoid the entry into Rome and the traffic.
The bus takes us as far as the lovely Monte Mario Park
and from here the Via Francigena descends along Via
Trionfale to St Peters Square. Those who wish to collect
a "Testimonium" certificate can do so at the "Opera
Romana Pellegrinaggi".
From St Peters we continue a few blocks on foot to our hotel and later
gather at the roof-top restaurant with its panoramic
view of the eternal city of Rome for a celebratory dinner.
HOTEL ATLANTE GARDEN
Day Ten: Depart
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