Tag: Via Francigena

The high towers of the town of San Gimignano

In the mid-13th century, the number of tower-houses was a good indicator of a city’s wealth. These buildings, originally constructed as defensive structures, eventually became the exclusive residence of the nobility. Erected in the city centre, the towers were commissioned by the most powerful families: the higher they rose towards the sky, the more prestige…
Fidenza Cathedral and the Passio of Saint Domninus

Bibles of stones, sculpture manuscripts, tales and figures came to life from the hands of skilled Romanesque stonemasons at Fidenza Cathedral of Saint Domninus. Wise magisters whose power of symbolic knowledge made it possible to transform imagination into real form. But also humble people of faith who carved the stone giving it deep and unchanging…
The village of Monteriggioni, story of a betrayal

Nestled among the lush hills of the Tuscan countryside, along the wooded paths of the Via Francigena, lies the picturesque village of Monteriggioni. Only a short distance from Siena, the village was once an impregnable fortress, so firmly entrenched that no force ever conquered it. The last bastion of ancient and valiant resistance, Monteriggioni witnessed…
The abbey of Saint Antimo, on the way to light

The abbey of Saint Antimo is reachable by following a straight path, which stretches slowly between the slopes of verdant hills, adorned with centuries-old olive and cypress trees, and expanses of green vineyards. These are the noble Brunello crops that spread out in the Montalcino sun, as in Castelnuovo dell’Abate. But the visitor’s path also…
Saint Michael’s Abbey and the Portal of the Zodiac

On the summit of Mount Pirchiriano, like an ancient guardian protecting the valley, stands the marvellous Saint Michael’s Abbey. It is an ancient and admirable place of faith, towering 962 metres above sea level, almost seems to reach towards the sky: it can only be accessed by a steep climb. The ascent is a metaphorical…
The town of San Quirico and the spiritual struggle of a pilgrim

The town of San Quirico stands out in the hills that mark the boundary between the Orcia and Asso valleys in Tuscany. These lands, shaped by verdant landscapes, still inspire suggestions of a distant and evocative past. There were echoes there of chivalric deeds, stonemasons at work, pilgrims dragging their weary steps over dusty paths,…
The symbols of the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore in Pavia

The imposing Basilica of San Michele Maggiore dominates the centre of Pavia. It is the Romanesque soul of the city, still alive and present today. With its massive appearance, the sandstone walls embroidered with friezes and symbols tell of the history, faith, and culture of the Middle Ages. Like an illustrated compendium, they reveal a…
The Knights of the Tau Cross in Altopascio

Along the Tuscan stretch of the Via Francigena, the ancient route that led pilgrims from France to Jerusalem, lies the beautiful town of Altopascio. Here, before 1084, stood the Spedale “edificatus in locus et finibus ubi dicitur Teupascio“. Such was in fact the structure used for the sustenance and care of the wayfarers who traveled…
Lucca Cathedral, an extraordinary labyrinth of mysteries

During the Middle Ages, Lucca was a city with a great tradition of worship, located in the heart of the Via Francigena. Pilgrims on their way to Rome stopped there for refreshment and to pray at the presence of the Holy Face. This is a wooden crucifix that tradition says Nicodemus carved by divine inspiration.…