the Via Francigena
Over the centuries the Via Francigena has evolved and changed. The first traces of the original Longobard route followed the Via Cassia built by the Romans, it was then further developed by the Franks to become known as the "Romea" route used by travellers and pilgrims on their way to Rome and Jerusalem and towards the north.
It is however from the year 1000 AD onwards that Europe was travelled by a multitude of souls "in search of the lost celestial home" who took to the road of penitence and undertook a journey that exhausted both the poor pilgrim and the rich traveller as it was covered primarily on foot (walking 20-25 kilometers a day) towards the holy places linked to the Christian faith.
|
During the period of the Crusades, pilgrimage along this road became more popular as it lead to two of the most important temples of Christianity, first of all, Santiago de Compostela where St James, the apostle, chose to lay to rest, secondly to Rome the place of the martyrdom of St Peter and St Paul and the centre of Christian faith because of the presence of the Pope, from where the ultimate objective was undertaken, reaching of course Jerusalem in the Holy Land.
In this way, all the places along the route of the Via Francigena developed because of the traffic the pilgrims created. From the north, the road cut through San Gimignano and veered down across to the Elsa valley towards Badia a Isola, a thriving Benedictine abbey, foundered around the year 1000 AD in the plane at the foot of the highland named Monte Maggio, alongside Monteriggioni and on to Siena.
This route was not just a road for pilgrims but became a route used by merchants and thus developed a tradition for hospitality and the spirit of goodwill towards the traveller, that even to today is confirmed by the quantity, variety and number of hotels and guest houses in the territory of Monteriggioni.
|
|
|
|
