Walking the Via Francigena Pilgrim Route - Part 3: Lucca to Rome

by Sandy Brown

Guidebook to the final 400km of the Via Francigena pilgrim route from Lucca to Rome. Crossing Tuscany in the heartland of Italy, the route goes through two of the region's most important cities, Lucca and Siena, and visits San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, and Radicofani. Described in 18 stages, with information on facilities and pilgrim hostels. Certified by the Council of Europe as an official Cultural Route, the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome brings to the modern pilgrim the cultural heritage of four nations—England, France, Switzerland, and Italy—and highlights their natural beauty and their history. Each stage has route directions and 1:100,000 mapping, which shows the route line and the facilities available at different locations. The book details accommodation along the route, including invaluable information on low-cost pilgrim hostels. There are city maps for Lucca, Siena, Rome, and Viterbi, and a stage planning guide that lists intermediate distances between pilgrim accommodation, allowing the reader to customise their walking schedule. The introduction contains a wealth of advice on planning and preparation and tips for making the most of the hike.

176 pages, Paperback

Published June 30, 2021

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm planning to walk the 3rd stage of the Via Francigena in July of this year and I'm hoping this book is an accurate delineation of the trail. It seems as detailed as John Brierley's book: A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago: St. Jean * Roncesvalles * Santiago, but only when I walk it will I learn how detailed this guide is. A number of stages are too long in my opinion, so I will try to divide them up. I like how Sandy Brown writes of possible shortcuts or the ability to skip stages using buses, trains or taxis, allowing the pilgrim to decide what works best for them. It seems there are many great resources, as far as accommodations, tourist offices, and the options in Rome for getting the Testimonium. It will be my companion book on my walk this summer. :-)

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to try this out next year! So much information!