Words by Christina Loggia

Canterbury, Dover and then on to Calais. Right through France and Switzerland, over the mountain pass of the Grand San Bernard.

Finally Italy, across Piedmont, via Aosta, Chiaverano, Cavaglia’ and Vercelli, through Parma, Siena, Viterbo and then the final destination: Rome.

This is the most classic of medieval itineraries, the Via Francigena (the way to France), also called the Romea (the way to Rome). But why Canterbury and why Rome?

This truly European ante litteram major route was first documented by Sigeric, Archibishop of Canterbury, who went to Rome in 994 to receive the pallium, the formal investiture from the Pope.

Sigeric took almost two months to cover about 1600 kilometres and on his way back he noted down the 79 stopping points in his diary which since then has been a ‘guide’ for all pilgrims and travellers who wish to follow in his footsteps.

Body and soul

But why, during the Middle Ages, did people decide to go on a pilgrimage, abandoning family and possessions to venture on a journey full of peril, sometimes fatal?

Profoundly rooted in human nature, the practice of pilgrimage was a metaphor for human existence on earth, an example of faith and charity, a journey towards the celestial home.

A penitential and devotional act, the pilgrimage is documented in all ancient religious texts including the Bible. The idea was also widely celebrated in literature, for example Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Dante’s Divine Comedy.

The number of pilgrims rose dramatically during the 8th century. Christians, now free to practice their faith in the open after centuries of persecution, longed to see the places where Jesus, James, Peter and Paul had lived, preached and died.

Visiting Rome in Italy, Jerusalem in Palestine or Santiago de Compostela in Spain helped confirm their faith and worship.

The Via Francigena was therefore an artery, a mystical bridge, which allowed pilgrims to fulfil their sacred purpose. In a more worldly sense it was also a communication route used for centuries by soldiers and merchants travelling back and forth from the north of Europe to Rome and Jerusalem, carrying ideas as well as money and produce.

Unlike Roman roads, medieval routes were named after the point where they began or ended, or because of the kind of environment and surroundings they went through. In the case of the Via Francigena, the name denoted its links between Italy and the Frankish Kingdom (modern-day France) beyond the Alps. Its other name Romea refers to its final destination, Rome.

The Crusades of 1095 onwards were a great boost to the development of medieval pilgrimages along the Via Francigena as they meant people could visit the Holy Sepulchre, now regained from the Muslims.

The Via Francigena was also the main route followed by Italian pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela as, beyond the Alps, the route linked with the Via Tolosana (the way to Toulouse), which led to Spain. Now that it was the meeting point of all three major pilgrimages, the route’s importance increased enormously and it was equipped with a defensive infrastructure.

The pilgrims

From all social classes, this multitude of souls was animated by a great religious faith and often ready to accept the possibility of death. This was a very real risk because of wars, bandits, a difficult environment, severe weather conditions, health problems or even attacks by wild animals. In fact, because of the dangers involved, there was a preparatory ritual to be observed before undertaking the journey: the pilgrim had to pay his debts and make his will before leaving.

In the event of his not returning after the length of time he was supposed to be away, plus one year and a day, his property was given to his heirs. During this moving ceremony he had to give up his mundane clothes – a symbol of his past sins – and don a new, modest, humble outfit, a clear sign of the spiritual change he wanted to operate in himself. A dark cloak of rough fabric, a wide-brimmed hat tied under the chin, a leather bag for food and money, and a wooden stick with a metal point: this was the pilgrim’s uniform.

All pilgrims carried objects which symbolised their final destination, a key for St. Peter in Rome, a shell for Santiago de Compostela, a cross for Jerusalem.

They also brought back souvenirs from their trip to remind them of this extraordinary experience and to provide a tangible link with their faith. That is why in the Middle Ages there was a passage of relics from pilgrim to pilgrim, which eventually became a flourishing trade.

A metaphor for human life

The road, and therefore the Via Francigena also had an allegorical meaning: the pilgrimage became the mirror and metaphor of life.
Living was a journey towards an eternal end. The pilgrim had to face many perils, dangers and discomforts along the way both real, like animals and bandits, and symbolic, such as temptation or doubt.

Pilgrims usually travelled about 25 kilometres day, stopping at night for shelter. Whilst walking they prayed for redemption, which is why all along the Via Francigena there are myriad Romanesque chapels and little churches, which reflect the simplicity and spirituality of those ancient pilgrims, with their basic yet intense style and no superfluous embellishments that could distract from the concentration of prayers.

Often hidden in idyllic countryside and linked by little paths, these buildings, or what remains of them, retain the power to evoke times where introspection was central, everything was defined through religion and life on earth was hard and short.

A present-day journey along the Via Francigena can add a new dimension to a purely tourist trip and help the traveller gain a new perspective on life. It’s worth thinking about what Agostino of Ippona once said: ‘People travel to be surprised by the height of the mountains, by the power of the waves of the sea, by the length of rivers, by the vastness of oceans, by the moving stars. And they pass by themselves without being astonished’.

Historical background

With the fall of the Roman Empire and the barbarian invasions, the consular roads fell into such a state of decay that they became almost impassable. When Charlemagne conquered Italy, a route to Rome was opened: this link with the Eternal City was of the utmost importance both from a real and ideal point of view.

Charlemagne was in fact the defender of the Sacred Roman Empire from the Islamic hordes who were on the brink of flooding the whole of Europe and who were successfully defeated by his army at Carcassonne.

This vital route was therefore named ‘Via Francigena’, representing not a single road, but rather a territorial route made up of many different smaller roads which continually intersected one another like a labyrinth.

More information on the ‘Via Francigena’ can be found on this website.