The Via Francigena (), also known as Francisca or Romea, is an ancient itinerary and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It was known in Italy as the Via Francigena ("the road that comes from France") or the Via Romea Francigena ("the road to Rome that comes from France"). In medieval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route for those wishing to visit the Holy See and the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul. The route was documented by Archbishop Sigeric on his return journey from Rome to Canterbury in around 990. Today, pilgrims still travel the route on foot, on horseback or by bicycle.
History of the pilgrimage to Rome
In the Middle Ages, Via Francigena was the major pilgrimage route to Rome from the north. The route was first documented as the "Lombard Way", and was first called the Iter Francorum (the "Frankish Route") in the Itinerarium sancti Willibaldi of 725, a record of the travels of Willibald, bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria. It was Via Francigena-Francisca in Italy and Burgundy, the Chemin des Anglois in the Frankish Kingdom (after the evangelisation of England in 607) and also the Chemin Romieu, the road to Rome. The name "Via Francigena" is first mentioned in the Actum Clusio, a parchment of 876 in the Abbazia di San Salvatore at Monte Amiata (Tuscany).Via Francigena: history (PDF)
At the end of the 10th century Sigeric, the Archbishop of Canterbury, used the Via Francigena to and from Rome in order to receive his pallium; he recorded his route and his stops on the return journey,The transcript, formerly in the Cottonian Library, is now in the British Library (Cotton Tiberius B.v., folios 34 and 35; On-line map of Sigeric's route but nothing in the document suggests that the route was then new, nor if he made the journey by foot or on horseback.
Later itineraries to Rome include the Leiðarvísir og borgarskipan of the Icelandic traveller Nikolás Bergsson (in 1154) and the one from Philip Augustus of France (in 1191).Nikolás is noted in F. P. Magoun, Jr., "The Italian Itinerary of Philip II (Philippe-Auguste) in the Year 1191", Speculum 17.3 (July 1942:367–376) p. 367 note 2 Two somewhat differing maps of the route appear in manuscripts of Matthew Paris, Historia Anglorum, from the 13th century.
The Welsh king Rhodri Mawr in 880 and his grandson Hywel Dda in 945 are both known to have visited Rome towards the end of their lives, but it is not known whether they went by land or by sea via the Straits of Gibraltar. The Benedictine William of St-Thierry used the roads towards Rome on several occasions at the end of the 11th century. The return journey by sea was likely to be easier, thanks to the prevailing south-westerly winds, but tacking down to the Mediterranean would have made a very long journey indeed.
The Via Francigena was not a single road, like a Roman road, paved with stone blocks and provided at intervals with a change of horses for official travellers. Rather, it comprised several possible routes that changed over the centuries as trade and pilgrimage waxed and waned. Depending on the time of year, the political situation, and the relative popularity of the shrines of the saints situated along the route, travellers may have used any of three or four crossings of the Alps and the Apennine Mountains. The Lombards financed the maintenance and security of the section of road through their territories as a trading route to the north from Rome, avoiding enemy-held cities such as Florence. Unlike Roman roads, the Via Francigena did not connect cities but relied more on abbeys.
Sigeric's itinerary In around 990, Archbishop Sigeric journeyed from Canterbury to Rome and back, but only documented his itinerary on the return journey, taken in 80 stages averaging about a day, for a total of some .
Modern pilgrims from England would follow Sigeric's route in the reverse order, and so would set off from the zero milestone in the South Porch of Canterbury Cathedral. Pilgrim passports are available from The Beaney Museum in Canterbury or from the information office of the cathedral. Canons based at Canterbury Cathedral can also be arranged to offer blessings to pilgrims setting off on the journey. Modern pilgrims would then follow the route, walking out of Canterbury via St Martin's Church, Canterbury, which is the oldest church in England still in use as a Church. Heading onwards, pilgrims pick up the first stamp in their pilgrim passport at the village church of St. Mary's in Patrixbourne. It is possible to "Champ" and stay by arrangement at St. Mary's. Heading on towards the English coast, pilgrims would travel through the Kentish villages of Womenswold and Woolage Green before arriving in Shepherdswell which is the end of the first stage (of 79 stages). The second stage continues to Dover through the Waldershare Park Estate and then joins the old Roman Road at Studdal outside Dover, to walk into the town. Pilgrims then cross the Channel to Sumeran (now called Sombres), landing at the village of Wissant. The route continues through Guînes (Sigeric's Gisne), Thérouanne (Teranburh), Bruay (Bruaei) and Arras (Atherats), before continuing on to Reims, Châlons-sur-Marne, Bar-sur-Aube, Langres, Champlitte, Besançon, Pontarlier, Lausanne and Saint-Maurice. From Saint-Maurice, the route traverses the Great St. Bernard Pass to Aosta and then to Ivrea, Vercelli, Pavia, Fidenza, Pontremoli, Filattiera, Aulla, Luni, Lucca, San Gimignano, Poggibonsi, Siena, San Quirico d'Orcia, Bolsena, Viterbo, Sutri and finally Rome.
+ Sigeric's journey compared to today's route No. Stages as described by Sigeric Today's stages of the Via Francigena Place names per Sigeric Current place names Start – End Distances in kmAcross the English Channel1 LXXX Sumeran Sombre (part of Wissant) Calais – Wissant 19.72 LXXIX stage missing 3 LXXVIII Gisne Guînes Wissant – Guînes 20.24 LXXVII Teranburh Thérouanne Guînes – Licques 15.7Licques – Wisques 23.9Wisques – Thérouanne 13.25 LXXVI Bruwaei Bruay-la-Buissière Thérouanne – Auchy-au-Bois 15.1Auchy-au-Bois – Bruay-la-Buissière 19.06 LXXV Atherats Arras Bruay-la-Buissière – Arras 33.67 LXXIV Duin Doingt Arras – Bapaume 26.2Bapaume – Péronne 25.3Peronne – Doingt 3.08 LXXIII Martinwaeth Seraucourt-le-Grand Doingt – Seraucourt-le-Grand 29.29 LXXII Mundlothuin Laon Seraucourt-le-Grand – Tergnier 17.0Tergnier – Laon 33.010 LXXI Corbunei Corbeny Laon – Bouconville-Vauclair 18.6Bouconville-Vauclair – Corbeny 4.511 LXX Rems Reims Corbeny – Hermonville 20.1Hermonville – Reims 16.312 LXIX Chateluns Châlons-en-Champagne Reims – Trépail 28.1Trépail – Châlons-en-Champagne 25.813 LXVIII Funtaine Fontaine sur Coole Châlons-en-Champagne – Coole 27.014 LXVII Domaniant Donnement Coole – Donnement 25.715 LXVI Breone Brienne-le-Château Donnement – Brienne le Château 17.816 LXV Bar Bar-sur-Aube Brienne-le-Château – Bar-sur-Aube 26.917 LXIV Blaecuile Blessonville Bar-sur-Aube – Châteauvillain (near Blessonville) 32.918 LXIII Oisma Humes-Jorquenay Châteauvillain – Langres (near Humes-Jorquenay) 40.919 LXII Grenant Grenant Langres – Coublanc (near Grenant) 27.020 LXI Sefui Seveux Coublanc – Dampierre-sur-Salon 27.7Dampierre-sur-Salon – Savoyeux (near Seveux) 5.521 LX Cuscei Cussey-sur-l'Ognon Savoyeux – Gy 20.6Gy – Cussey-sur-l'Ognon 16.422 LIX Bysiceon Besançon Cussey-sur-l'Ognon – Besançon 17.023 LVIII Nos Nods Besançon – Étalans 27.0Étalans – Chasnans (near Nods) 9.824 LVII Punterlin Pontarlier Chasnans – Ouhans 18.0Ouhans – Pontarlier 17.025 LVI Antifern JougnePontarlier – Orbe 40.226 LV Urba Orbe27 LIV Losanna Lausanne Orbe – Lausanne 32.028 LIII Vivaec Vevey Lausanne – Cully 12.9Distances given by Ingrid Retterath: Via Francigena von Lausanne nach Rom. Outdoor guide Bd. 201. Conrad Stein Verlag 2011.Cully – Vevey 11.329 LII Burbulei Aigle Vevey – Montreux 8.4Montreux – Villeneuve 5.9Villeneuve – Aigle 12.730 LI Sce Maurici Saint-Maurice Aigle – Saint-Maurice 18.031 L Ursiores Orsières Saint-Maurice – Martigny 17.0Martigny – Orsières 18.532 XLIX Petrecastel Bourg-Saint-Pierre Orsières – Bourg-Saint-Pierre 15.433 XLVIII Sce Remei Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses Bourg-Saint-Pierre – Great St Bernard Hospice 13.8Great St Bernard Hospice – Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses 6.334 XLVII Agusta Aosta Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses – Aosta 25.635 XLVI Publei (Pontey ?) Pont-Saint-Martin Aosta – Nus 15.9Nus – Saint-Vincent 22.3Saint-Vincent – Arnad 22.4Arnad – Pont-Saint-Martin 15.936 XLV Everi Ivrea Pont-Saint-Martin – Ivrea 25.237 XLIV Sca Agatha Santhià Ivrea – Viverone 21.4Viverone – Santhià 16.238 XLIII Vercel Vercelli Santhià – Vercelli 28.639 XLII Tremel Tromello Vercelli – Robbio 19.7Robbio – Mortara 14.2Mortara – Tromello 18.140 XLI Pamphica Pavia Tromello – Gropello Cairoli 13.5Gropello Cairoli – Pavia 18.141 XL Sce Cristine Santa Cristina e Bissone Pavia – Santa Cristina e Bissone 27.442 XXXIX Sce Andrea Corte San Andrea Santa Cristina e Bissone – Piacenza (crossing the Po) 38.243 XXXVIII Placentia Piacenza44 XXXVII Floricum Fiorenzuola d'Arda Piacenza – Fiorenzuola d'Arda 26.445 XXXVI Sce Domnine Fidenza (up till 1927 called Borgo San Donino) Fiorenzuola d'Arda – Fidenza 22.346 XXXV Metane Costamezzana (Medesano) Fidenza – Costamezzana 10.847 XXXIV Philemangenur Fornovo di Taro (or Felegara)Costamezzana – Medesano 9.7Medesano – Fornovo di Taro 9.248 XXXIII Sce Moderanne Berceto Fornovo di Taro – Cassio di Terenzo19.8Cassio di Terenzo – Berceto 10.449 XXXII Sce Benedicte Montelungo Berceto – Pontremoli 29.450 XXXI Puntremel Pontremoli51 XXX Aguilla Aulla Pontremoli – Villafranca in Lunigiana 19.1Villafranca in Lunigiana – Aulla 15.352 XXIX Sce Stephane Santo Stefano di Magra Aulla – Sarzana 16.353 XXVIII Luna Luni Sarzana – Luni 12.754 XXVII Campmaior Pieve di Camaiore Luni – Massa 14.8Massa – Pietrasanta 15.8Pietrasanta – Camaiore 8.255 XXVI Luca Lucca Camaiore – Lucca 24.256 XXV Forcri Porcari Lucca – Porcari 10.657 XXIII Aqua Nigra Ponte a Cappiano. Part of Fucecchio Porcari – Ponte a Cappiano19.758 XXIII Arne Blanca Fucecchio Ponte a Cappiano – Fucecchio 4.959 XXII Sce Dionisii San Genesio near San Miniato Fucecchio – San Miniato Alto 7.660 XXI Sce Peter Currant Coiano. Today part of Castelfiorentino San Miniato Alto – Coiano12.161 XX Sce Maria Glan Santa Maria a Chianni near Gambassi Terme Coiano – Gambassi Terme 12.262 XIX Sce Gemiane San Gimignano Gambassi Terme – San Gimignano 14.563 XVIII Sce Martin in Fosse San Martino Fosci (Molino d'Aiano. Part of Colle di Val d'Elsa) San Gimignano – Badia a Isola20.5/25.564 XVII Aelse Gracciano (Pieve d'Elsa. Part of Colle di Val d'Elsa) 65 XVI Burgenove Badia an Isola. Part of Monteriggioni 66 XV Seocine Siena Badia an Isola – Monteriggioni 3.5Monteriggioni – Siena 20.567 XIV Arbia Ponte d'Arbia. Part of Monteroni d'Arbia Siena – Monteroni d'Arbia 17.9Monteroni d'Arbia – Ponte d'Arbia 9.868 XIII Turreiner Torrenieri (Part of Montalcino) Ponte d'Arbia – Buonconvento 5.7Buonconvento – Torrenieri 13.569 XII Sce Quiric San Quirico d'Orcia Torrenieri – San Quirico d'Orcia 7.470 XI Abricula Briccole di Sotto San Quirico d'Orcia – Bagno Vignoni 5.3Bagno Vignoni – Radicofani 27.471 X Sce Petir in Pail San Pietro in Paglia (Voltole) Radicofani – Ponte a Rigo10.772 IX Aquapendente Acquapendente Ponte a Rigo – Acquapendente 13.873 VIII Sca Cristina Bolsena Acquapendente – Bolsena 20.274 VII Sce Flaviane Montefiascone Bolsena – Montefiascone 1875 VI Sce Valentine Viterbo (Bullicame) Montefiascone – Viterbo 18.776 V Furcari Vetralla (Forcassi) Viterbo – Vetralla 17.977 IlIl Suteria Sutri Vetralla – Sutri 22.178 III Bacane Baccano (Campagnano di Roma) Sutri – Campagnano di Roma 22.379 II Johannis VIIII San Giovanni in Nono (La Storta) Campagnano di Roma – La Storta 25.680 I Urbs Roma Roma La Storta – Rome 14.8
The final stretch towards the Apulian ports