Our beautiful country has a lot to offer for both nature and art lovers. But how could we forget history? Italy has been at the heart of European and Mediterranean history for centuries and its historical relevance cannot be discounted.
Today, I’d like to bring you on an ideal historical journey through our beloved country, a journey that merges important events and epochs, people and customs. These itineraries have all one thing in common: they are walkable. A perfect way to bring together all the good things we love about il Belpaese: history, nature, tradition, and beauty.
The Via Francigena
This is definitely the most popular and well-known of all Italian historical walks. Also known as the “way to Rome,” the Francigena is the last leg of what used to be the pilgrimage route joining the city of Canterbury, in England, to Rome, Europe’s Holy City. The itinerary then continued to Apulia, where pilgrims would begin their voyage by sea to reach the Holy Land, the ultimate faith destination for all Christians. Its first attestation comes from the Itinerarium Sancti Willibandi of 725.
Here in Italy, it got the name “Francigena” because the itinerary entered the country from France, via the Passo del Gran San Bernardo, in the Aosta Valley. The Francigena is 945 km long (about 590 miles) and can be either walked or cycled. You’ll pass through Valle d’Aosta, Piemonte, Lombardia, Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Toscana, Lazio, and 140 villages and town, for a total of 45 legs. Expect to walk some 20 km (around 12 miles) a day for a month and a half to reach Rome; if you prefer cycling, then you are looking at 60 km (around 37 miles) a day and two weeks to get to the Holy City. All along the way, you’ll find hostels for pilgrims where you’ll be able to sleep and eat for very little. For more information, check out www.viefrancigene.org.
The Via di Francesco
A walk that follows in the footsteps of Italy’s patron saint and protector of all creatures, Saint Francis of Assisi. There are three options available to pilgrims: the Via del Nord – or northern way – starts in the quaint hamlet of La Verna, in the Tuscan Apennines, where a well-known Franciscan sanctuary is located, and reaches Assisi; the Via del Sud – or southern way – from Rome to Assisi; and finally the Via di Roma – or Roman way – a 500 km (around 310 miles) itinerary from La Verna to Rome.
All three ways follow the steps of the Saint, each leg of the journey connecting some of the most beautiful towns and villages of central Italy, including Gubbio, Città di Castello, Sansepolcro, and Monte Rotondo. To many, this is as much of a spiritual journey as it is a trekking adventure, a perfect way to bring together an emotional discovery of the Italian countryside and the self. For more information, check out www.viadifrancesco.it/en/.
The Via del Tratturo
The two itineraries we’ve just presented are steeped in spirituality. This one, on the other hand, is all about tradition and farming history. The Via del Tratturo has immense cultural relevance in the central regions of Abruzzo and Molise because it follows the old, traditional tratturi, also poetically known as “roads of grass,” or strade d’erba, itineraries that were used by shepherds to move their flocks from pasture to pasture. This network of countryside paths used to join Abruzzo’s Apennine with Puglia’s Tavoliere. The current walk covers 112 km (70 miles) of the itinerary, and connects Pescasseroli, in Abruzzo, to Campobasso, the capital of the homonymous province in Molise. The Via del Tratturo is divided into six legs that’ll bring you deep into the central Italian countryside. Slow tourism at its best!
For more information, check out www.viadeltratturo.it.
The Sentieri della Grande Guerra
Our last journey leads us up North, to Italy’s beautiful mountains. Between 1915 and 1918, the years of the Great War in Italy, the Eastern front ran through the Dolomites: our soldiers fought the Austrians, in an excruciating, inhuman trench warfare that claimed the lives of many, on both fronts. In a time when, once more, war is painfully fought on European soil, deciding to walk one of these itineraries doesn’t only allow enjoying Alpine nature and learning more about our recent history, but also gives the opportunity to ponder on the sacrifice of those who fought yesterday and fight today.
Contrarily to the itineraries proposed above, these can all be walked in a day, back and forth. We’d like to mention the Anello del Cristo Pensante dal Passo Rolle al Castellaz, a circular path that can be walked with ease in about 3 hours. The Sentiero del Monte Piana is another easy trek, but one with an immense historical value: Mount Piana was at the heart of battle for two and a half years during World War One, the traces of which are still visible along the path, alternated with breathtaking views on the Dolomites, including the famous Cime di Lavaredo.
Last but not least, the Strada degli Alpini dai Prati di Croda Rossa a Forcella Undici. This is perhaps the more difficult of all the World War One itineraries proposed. The mountain path was created by the Alpini (the Italian Army’s mountain brigade) during the Great War to break into Austrian territory. The path will lead to the military village of Anderter Alpe. The whole area is a large open-sky museum, which will be certainly appreciated by all history lovers.
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