After my last night in Rome, I woke up early, at around 6:45am, and after taking the 7:30 train from Trastevere station, switcher in Rome Termini, the central station, and reached the town of Castel Gandolfo at around 9am. It would be from here that I would start my 35-day pilgrimage along the Via Francigena del Sud, to reach Santa Maria di Leuca the northeastern tip of Puglia, about 1147km away. So from the station, I then headed uphill to reach the city center of Castel Gandolfo, stopping in front of the Apostolic Palace, a 17th-century villa in a 54 hectares complex of buildings with a garden, observatory, and a farmhouse. It served for centuries as a summer residence and vacation retreat for the pope and is afforded extraterritorial status as one of the properties of the Holy See, and thus not under Italian jurisdiction. Since October 2016 it is a museum, however, as I was there it was unfortunately still closed. Right in front of the palace opens up the pretty and elegant central square, the Piazza Della Libertà, with the baroque collegiate church of St. Thomas of Villanova, designed around mid 17th century by Bernini. From the back of the church, I was then able to admire a beautiful panorama from the terrace overlooking Lake Albano and its curious oval shape due to it being a volcanic crater lake in origin. The area around, known as the Alban Hills, is actually the caldera remains of a quiescent volcanic complex which formed hills and lakes, and since the ancient Roman era, it was an area frequented by the noblemen of Rome for its fresher climate. The tradition was followed by the Popes which had their summer residences built in the towns known as the Castelli Romani, all around the area. After enjoying the beautiful view it was time to head on so I walked through the city center and passed another papal residence, the Villa Barberini, with a scenic Italian garden; however, that was closed as well. I continued on bordering the garden for quite a bit, due to its immense size, and then stopped by to observe the incredible roman amphitheater set on a hillside and still well-preserved. Built during the 3rd century AD in honor of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, who had founded a permanent legionary fort in the area, Castra Albana. Nowadays the amphitheater is located in the municipality of Albano Laziale, a town that took its name from the encampment and which I reached shortly after. As I entered the town I briefly stopped to see the neoclassical church of San Paolo and then reached the central Piazza Pia, where a market was taking place. I stopped to talk with the owner of a fruit and vegetable stall and saw he had set aside a few partly damaged apples, I asked him if he intended to throw them away and he told me I could take them if I wished. I took two and thanked him kindly and then headed on to visit the nearby Cathedral. Standing on an older structure, the current church was rebuilt in the early 18th century and now features a rather plain baroque style. From there I then passed by the church of Santa Maria della Rotonda, dating to the 11th century and built over a pre-existing ancient roman structure from the 1st century. It was unfortunately closed but I still managed to admire its beautiful Romanesque bell tower from the beginning of the 13th century. Not far from there I then passed by the Porta Pretoria, the ancient Roman city gate which was, until 1994, fully encircled by buildings, but because of the ww2 bombings was thus revealed and now fully visible despite mostly in ruins. A few more steps then took me to the church of St Peter, featuring another beautiful bell tower from the 13th century, and with some nice early Christian mosaics on the pavement inside. After the visit to the church, I continued on and left the city, walking along the main road connecting it to the next town, Ariccia. I passed by the suburbs of Albano and stopped to see the church of Santa Maria Della Stella, which was supposed to feature some interesting catacombs known as the Catacombe di San Senatore. Unfortunately, the church, and thus the catacombs, were closed and so I had to move on. Right in front of the church though I was able to admire a nice ancient roman structure, known as the Tomb of the Horatii and Curiatii, which was rather well-preserved too. A little further up the street I then soon approached the town of Ariccia, by walking on top of its monumental 72m high bridge from mid 19th century. Right after crossing it I reached the main square, Piazza di Corte, closed to the north by the large Palazzo Chigi and to the south by the church of Santa Maria Assunta. The former is a baroque palace once owned by the Savelli family, later, from the 17th century, by the Chigi family who had it renewed, and since 1988 by the city of Ariccia which set up a museum inside. I decided not to visit it and instead headed to the other side of the square and visit the church. Built in 1665 by the famous architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who also designed the square and palace in front, it consists of a central circular plan surmounted by a hemisphere cupola typical of the Baroque period. Inside some young students from the area were probably showing the monument to some peers, I guessed they might be exchange students from Poland. After seeing the interior I then headed out and explored the rest of the old town, reaching then the edge where a nice terrace granted a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. As I then left the town, I then reached the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Galloro, located in the suburbs. Designed by Bernini as well in a typical Baroque architecture, is one of the most important and frequented Marian sanctuaries in the region. Unfortunately, it too was closed so that meant continuing on along the road towards the next town. Shortly after I reached in fact Genzano di Roma, and visited its small old town. The main monument is the large Palazzo Sforza-Cesarini, an early 18th-century baroque palace located on the highest point in town. The interior can usually be visited as it is a museum, but at the moment of my visit, there was a wedding taking place so I decided to head on instead. I passed by the church of Santa Maria della Cima, which was unfortunately closed, so I then headed on, leaving soon the town behind. From here I could see the town of Nemi and the lake named after it below. I followed the path and a little while later I reached the aforementioned town. I first passed by and visited the small Santuario del Santissimo Crocifisso, a 17th-century church right outside the old town. Then a little further I reached the city center proper, located on the hillside above the lake. Here I walked through the pretty streets, passing by the main church, Santa Maria del Pozzo which was already closed for lunch. Then I walked by the main monument, the renaissance Palazzo Ruspoli, built over a pre-existing medieval castle, the main tower of which is still visible jutting out from the roof and reaching a height of 40m. Nearby I then reached a scenic terrace where a quaint little garden set next to a restaurant granted a beautiful view of the lake below and the town of Genzano in the distance on the other side. I found a bench there and ate my lunch, farro salad with cucumber, tomatoes, and peaches while enjoying the view. Once I was done it was time to head on so I walked back through the old town this time admiring the goods in the shops along the way, which consisted of everything made from wild strawberries as the town is known for growing them. The trail then led me through a dense forest and after a while out in the open where villas had been built on gentle hills overlooking the countryside below. I was now reaching the town of Velletri, my destination for the day. I entered through the southern city gate, Porta Napoletana, named so because it faces south towards Naples, built in 1515 and the only city gate to survive. Nearby I then visited the Cathedral, a 17th-century church built over a previous medieval one, with a nice painted ceiling from the 18th century and lavish altars. Once back outside I walked through the city center, slightly uphill until I reached the central part of town where the Palazzo dei Conservatori, the Palazzo Comunale, and the church of San Michele Arcangelo are located. From there I had a beautiful view of Mount Circeo looming over the sea in the distance and the closer Lepini mountains to the east which I would walk towards the next day. I continued on through town passed by two churches, both of which closed, the church of Santa Maria in Trivio and that of Santa Lucia. After the latter, I exited the city center from the northern side and headed towards my accommodation. I reached it from the wrong side and when calling the priest I was told I had to walk back and around some buildings to reach the actual entrance. Finally arrived I entered the large park of the Istituto Don Orione, a place that provides religious hospitality to young seminarists and pilgrims alike. I met the main priest who then introduced me to a Romanian seminarist who then showed me to my room. I had a whole room to myself with a private bathroom too. What a luxury! After I had showered and changed I heard a large group of about 11 people had arrived as well. They were a group of pilgrims who had started their walk in Sermoneta and were walking towards Rome. It was an organized group of people from the area of Naples with their guide walking with them along those 4 days. They hadn't known each other before and so it was fun for them to walk and get to know each other better along the way. We had dinner together and talked for a while about the pilgrimage and hiking in general. Among them was also a friendly guy named Luigi who wished he would be able to meet me again when I would be walking through his hometown in the coming days. The dinner was really good, with pasta, fried eggs, salad, tomatoes, bread, mortadella and then fruit and lots of wine. The priest then also brought us some grappa which he shared with us and told us it was made from the institute's own vineyards. In order to sleep and eat the priest had asked for us to leave a donation (as is customary) and I had decided to leave 15 euros and was well satisfied with the whole place, ambiance, and company. That day I totaled 31km.
The next morning, after a good night's sleep, I had breakfast with the pilgrims, but despite waking up early it took us quite a bit as they were generally slightly slow, particularly as being in a big group so, in the end, we left about 1h 30 after we had planned. I said goodbye to them heading eastwards while they headed west in the opposite direction. After a bit of walking through the countryside on a cloudy morning, I reached a bit later, the lake of Giulianello. On the way there it started raining slightly but luckily stopped shortly after and would not rain for the rest of the day. After reaching the lake I went around it and walked through more countryside until I reached a main road. Here I found a lady feeding a dog next to some parked cars and as I tried to pass next to them, the dog nearly bit my leg but luckily I managed to step out of the way just in time. The dog was a shepherd dog but it seemed strange he was here being fed by the lady. The lady then just told me to just go on without and not be bothered by the dog but I was quite annoyed as I was on public land and I wasn't supposed to worry about being bitten. After following the road I then reached the town of Giulianello with its small historic center characterized by the large Palazzo Salviati, a medieval castle later transformed into a baroque palace. As I left town, the countryside started changing, and more and more olive trees started appearing along the road. After a rather tough climb uphill, with the clouds just barely keeping the June heat away, I reached the town of Cori, built in a circular plan on top of a hilly side of the Lepini mountains. I walked through its pretty medieval center and reached the well-preserved temple of Hercules, an ancient Roman temple built around 80 B.C. on the highest spot of town at about 400m above sea level. Next to the temple stands a solitary bell tower, once belonging to the church of St Peter which was unfortunately destroyed in the allied bombings during WWII. After enjoying the view of the plains down below I started my ascent of the old town, passing from the upper town to the lower town, still quite high at about 300m above sea level. Here I stopped by the church of Santa Oliva built around the 12th century in a Romanesque style, which was closed at the time. Continuing on I then reached another trace of the town's ancient Roman past, the temple of the Dioscuri, Castor, and Pollux, with two columns still standing right in front of the church of San Salvatore. Walking further I then passed yet another church, also closed, that of Santa Maria della Pietà and then nearby decided to enter a supermarket to grab some food to eat for lunch. I found a bench nearby and sitting there enjoyed my sandwich with porchetta, fennel, bell pepper, and some strawberries. After lunch, I walked back through the old part of the lower town and left Cori by crossing the Ponte della Catena and heading on through the hilly countryside. I turned around to admire the old town for one last time and continued on for a while on a constant slightly uphill way, this time with the heat starting to be felt quite a bit. A few kilometers later I finally came in sight of the town of Norma, built over a steep cliffside, and my destination for the day. I also noticed some people on paraglides hovering above the town and over the cliff, as the area is a popular spot for that sport due to its height and warm winds coming from the plain below and the sea a short distance away. As I approached the town I had a beautiful view, on my right side the pontine plains and the sea in the distance with the islands Ponza and Ventotene and the Circeo cape easily recognizable. To the left, the forested peaks of the Lepini mountains, still high above me even though I was already at around 500m above sea level. Right before entering the town, I decided to visit the archaeological site of the ancient Norba, an ancient Latin town later conquered by the Romans. Mostly in ruins it still featured some parts such as the well-preserved polygonal masonry wall dating to the 4th century B.C., parts of the thermal baths, the foundations of some temples of the acropolis on the highest spot, and the main street. As I walked around the site I admire the ruins in complete solitude and the surrounding view. Down the cliff, right below me, I could also spot the Garden of Ninfa, the famous landscape garden containing several plants and medieval ruins. I had always wished to visit it from Rome but had thought to wait till the spring or summer for it. Due to the lockdown, I wasn't able to do so in the spring and now that summer was here I had intended to include it along the hike due to its proximity. But of course, now that I was walking I figured out it meant walking down the 500m cliffs, visiting the complex (with a timed entrance), and then hiking back up the same way to continue along the hike. Considering it fully I decided not to visit as it would just take me too long and overtire me on an already long and quite tough journey. As I admired it from afar though I came upon two couples of old people who curiously stopped me seeing I had a backpack on. I talked with them for a while about my hike and they were quite impressed and waved goodbye and wished me good luck as I then left the archeological site. From there I finally entered the old town of Norma and walking through its narrow streets, reached my accommodation the B&B La Rupe. Unfortunately though as I attempted to shower, I found out the hot water was not working as the boiler had not been turned on; so I had to wait over an hour for it to fully work after turning it on. After managing to shower and change clothes I then headed through town looking for a place to have dinner. I ended up choosing the Trattoria Antichi Sapori on the main square, Piazza Caio Cesto. Here I had a first course (ramiccia al ragù) and a second course (sausage on a potato cream with rucola pesto) for 13 euros plus a salad and a glass of red wine totaling just 20 euros. I was quite satisfied and full and after thanking the staff left to head back to the b&b. That day I totaled 34km.
In the morning I woke up early and headed to the nearby main building of the b&b (as my room was located just down the street in its own building) to have breakfast which was included in the room's price. Nobody was inside though, as it was still too early, so I figured out the code to unlock the door and entered the building to start breakfast. A lady then came and despite being a little surprised at first to find me inside, then showed me where all the stuff was. We talked a bit about my trip and then showed me the terrace that featured a beautiful view of the old town and the plains below. After eating I thanked the lady and left the b&b and the town of Norma, heading down a path with a great view of the mountains to the left and plain to the right; unfortunately, it was still very cloudy but at least it didn't rain. At the end of the path, I then reached the Valvisciolo Abbey located at about 116m above sea level, originally built by Greek Basilian monks during the 18th century it was later occupied and restored by the Knights Templar in the 13th century. It features a simple yet elegant Romanesque and Gothic architecture, in line with the ideals of the templar order, and a really nice and peaceful cloister. Around the complex, I saw some men pacing about dressed up with long white robes and the typical red cross of the templars on, probably a modern reinterpretation of the order. After visiting the abbey I then continued on, now heading uphill and following the path until I reached the town of Sermoneta, located on a hilltop mid-height the Lepini mountains and overlooking the plain. As I entered the old town I admired the beautiful medieval stone architecture, further embellished by colorful flowers and plants dotting the streets. I first passed by the church of San Michele Arcangelo, which was unfortunately closed, and then past the 16th century Palazzo Americi, now the town hall. Next to it, a scenic staircase led up to the highest point where the large and impressive Castello Caetani, which I could already spot from the town of Norma, is located. Built in the 13th century it features a central keep surrounded by a thick defensive bastion. Unfortunately once at the entrance of the castle, I found out it could only be visited through guided tours which only took place in the afternoon. So I continued on through the old town admiring the rest of the buildings, including the nice medieval Loggia dei Mercanti, a Gothic loggia from 1446 overlooking the main square, Piazza del Popolo. Not far on I then reached the church of Santa Maria Assunta, a gothic structure with a beautiful romanesque bell tower. Next to the church I then visited the small diocesan museum where the friendly custodian, a volunteer carabiniere, showed me around and then asked me where I was from and about my trip. I told him about the pilgrimage and that I was from Vicenza and he excitedly told me that both his parents were from Veneto and that in fact, he could still speak it quite well. In fact, a large portion of the inhabitants of the area, particularly down in the Pontine plains are originally from Veneto as they needed those farmers and workers to drain the marshy land and then settle to farm it later. He even told me he plans every year a trip back to Veneto with his enlarged family and wished that his children would do the same in the future. From there I then reached the southern end of town where the medieval walls still stand and eventually left Sermoneta, heading onwards along the nice trail through the countryside up the mountain with a fresh wind accompanying me and the sounds of crickets around me amongst the fields. After several kilometers like this, I eventually came upon the town of Sezze, which like the previous two towns, stands on the hills overlooking the plain. I had to hurry to reach the center, struggling the last part which was particularly steep uphill, as I intended to reach the supermarket before its closing time for lunch. I managed to get in and grab some food right before closure. Once out I then entered the old town proper by walking through the western gate, Porta Paolina. Nearby I then passed by the Cathedral of Santa Maria, built during the 13th century in a Romanesque style, but which was already closed. I then passed by another church, that of Santi Pietro and Paolo, also closed, and found a bench nearby to sit on and enjoy my lunch; tomatoes, mozzarella, coppiette di suino, and a banana. I then left town and followed the trail with more amazing views, this time of the Ausoni Mountains and Seiani Hills surrounding Priverno, my destination for the day. The trail got quite hard in one section because of the thick bushes that obviously had not received any kind of maintenance lately and made me rethink twice of continuing further along it. However, the beautiful yellow flowers all around were a nice distraction. I then reached the lower ground and continued along a mostly flat terrain sided by fields when the sun finally came out and proved its heat. A bit more walking and I finally reached the town of Piverno and first entered the small church of Sant'Antonio Abate, with a nice simple single-nave gothic interior with large traces of frescoes. Continuing on along the main street I then reached the central square, Piazza Giovanni XXIII, where the beautiful Gothic Palazzo Comunale, now the town hall, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata are located. The church, located above a scenic staircase next to the town hall, features a mostly Romanesque facade from its original construction during the 12th century with a later gothic facade, and a baroque interior. After that, I decided to continue walking around town admiring some of its other monuments such as the churches of San Giovanni Evangelista, and that of San Tommaso d'Aquino, and some of its pretty medieval streets. I decided then to finally start heading towards my accommodation, which was outside the city center in a b&b in the nearby hills to the south. However, it started raining and I decided then to stop somewhere to grab some food for later as I didn't wish to then walk all the way to town and back to the accommodation for dinner. I stopped at a small pizza place, Acqua e Farina, and grabbed two slices for just 2 euros. After putting on my raincoat and pants I started the ascent of the hill but the rain got stronger so I quickly changed my shoes as they weren't waterproof, into my sandals. Half an hour later, under the torrential rain, I finally reached the accommodation, the Domus Victoria. Here I was welcomed by a friendly old couple who showed me to my room where I was able to take a nice hot shower and change into fresh clothes. I had then my dinner in the room as I was too tired and it didn't make sense to walk back into town and had my sandwich and chickpeas I still had bought in Sezze. That day I totaled 35km.
In the morning, I woke up early and had breakfast at the b&b. Then after saying goodbye to the owners and their friendly cat, I started out, once again under a cloudy sky, and walking through a thick forest. At one point, as I was passing an isolated house, I immediately heard barking and saw five dogs running outside the house's gate and towards me. I was quite far from it but they nonetheless felt it was still their territory and eventually caught up to me. They barked warning at me but one of them came so close to me he nearly bit into my leg, I managed to move it just in time and tried to stay as calm as possible averting their gaze but still keeping them in sight and continuing onwards on a slow steady pace. Eventually, they luckily got tired and ran back where they came from. I was rather frightened as if I would get bitten it would certainly mean the end of my journey, a thought which I did not foresee but would constantly be present later on in my pilgrimage particularly between the regions of Campania and Puglia. Nevertheless, I then came out of the forest and reached then the famous Fossanova Abbey. Built in the 12th century in an early Gothic style, one of the first ones to be built in Italy in that style, it consists of a large basilica church with the typical monastery annexes such as cloisters, refectory, chapter house, infirmary, etc, plus a series of other buildings which were later constructed around the abbey and served the non-religious population and visitors. As I approached the main church I admired its beautiful facade with the large rose window and the other gothic features. This type of gothic known as Cistercian Gothic can be found in Italy as well as in other countries around Europe and started out from the original monastery of Clairvaux in France. Fossanova is in fact the oldest example of Cistercian Gothic architecture in Italy. I then entered inside and admired the three-nave structure with its succession of columns and high windows giving it an airy feel full of light. I was the only visitor there and thus I felt even more awed of its architecture. From the church, I then moved to the cloister, y the real core of the abbey, as was typical for the Cistercian order. It featured a lovely garden surrounded by decorated and sculpted columns. From here the monks could then head to all the main parts of the monastery and their daily lives. I then visited the refectory, the chapter house, and finally the small St Thomas' Block, the cell where the saint Thomas Aquinas died in 1274 en route to the Second Council of Lyon and which was then later transformed into a chapel. After I was done visiting the whole complex it was time to head-on. I left the abbey and continued on along the path which took me through a vast expanse of flat land covered in fields; I was now walking through what were once the Pontine Marshes. Known in antiquity for their inhospitable terrain and the frequency of epidemics of malaria they were finally turned into arable land under Benito Mussolini's regime in the 1930s, by placing dikes and pumping out that portion of the marsh below sea level. This was done particularly through the use of colonists coming from the Veneto region who were used to such kind of territory and who eventually settled here, now having their descendants still living in the area. Along the way, I noticed a lot of people from Bangladesh and Pakistan riding along on their bicycles, the modern cheap workforce now employed to work this land. After a couple of hours along this territory, I finally reached the outskirts of Terracina, my destination, with the many nice villas and large amounts of lemon trees dotting every garden. I even found traces of the Appian Way once again and the ruins of the Roman aqueduct among the modern villas. As I approached the city center I stopped at the supermarket Conad to grab some food to eat and had couscous with vegetables, carrots, and cherries on a seat in front of the entrance. As I entered the old town through the northwestern gate, the Porta Romana, I then walked up the main street and was pleased to see the sun was finally shining once more, however meaning the heat was much higher than with the cloud cover. As I walked up the street I passed two churches, the Chiesa del Purgatorio and the Chiesa di San Giovanni, both of which were closed. Then I passed next to the Capitolium, an ancient Roman temple with one of the four columns still standing. Next to it I then passed under the gothic gate of the Palazzo Venditti which led me then to the city's main square, Piazza del Municipio, where all the main monuments are located. The road that led me in coincides with the ancient Roman Appian Way and still features most of the original paving. The square used to be the ancient roman forum, and in fact, to the north of it, there are still many ruins of the public buildings, such as the ancient theatre, which during my visit was undergoing further excavations. On the southern side of the square, I then admire the tall Torre Frumentaria, a 13th-century medieval defensive structure once belonging to the Rosa family and part of a larger fortification. Next to it was the beautiful Duomo, featuring a beautiful Romanesque bell tower dating to the 12th century, and the portico featuring reused ancient roman columns and a frieze with Cosmatesque mosaic decorations including the figures of a winged monster, an eagle, palms, deer, birds, bulls, etc. The church was originally built between the 5th and 6th centuries but suffered major refurbishments, particularly in the 11th and 13th centuries, and then again in the 18th century when the interior was mostly altered in a baroque form. Inside some traces of the older building are still visible, including the beautiful Cosmatesque pavement, the medieval pulpit and the spiral column, used to hold the Easter candle, dating to 1245. I decided to visit the inside later though as it was still closed for lunchtime, and I wished to first head to the accommodation. I called the guy responsible, the custodian of the parish, who after a few minutes arrived to meet and greet me and showed me the parish's room in a building right next to the Cathedral. The room, once the cellar of the bishopìs palace, was large and cold but at least there was a bed and a few blankets to use for the night. I talked a while with the custodian about my hike and then after thanking him headed out to explore the rest of the city. After leaving the accommodation, I walked again through the main square and then passed by another ancient roman trace, the honorary arch from the 1st century B.C. which once served as the entrance to the forum, and with traces of the Appian Way running under it. From there I left town, heading slightly uphill and passing by the structure of the Frangipane castle, built around the 12th century and later modified during the renaissance. As I headed uphill, I then reached, after a bit of hiking in the heat, the top of the Monte Sant'Angelo, the mount overlooking the city of Terracina at 227m above sea level. On the top of it stands the famous ancient temple of Jupiter Anxur. Built during the 1st century B.C. it featured the main temple on a terrace dedicated to Jupiter and a series of other terraces and minor buildings around it. Unfortunately, to my surprise, as I reached the site I found out it was closed and had been closed for quite a while with no notice of its reopening. There was no one around and for a moment I thought of jumping over the low fence and go see it, but then I thought I still had many days to walk and I didn't want to get into trouble nor end my pilgrimage early, so instead I just admired the beautiful view of the city, countryside, and coast below. After that, I then followed a trail that brought me back down to the city and to the lower town which dates mostly to the 19th and 20th centuries. I passed by and entered the large Chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore with a simple yet elegant and airy Neoclassical architecture, and then a few hundred meters further finally reached the beach. I took a nice refreshing swim in the clear water of the Tyrrhenian Sea and enjoyed the view of the Monte Sant'Angelo and the temple of Jupiter Anxur towering over the city and see from this perspective. After the nice swim, I then dried out a little and headed back into town, visiting then the Cathedral which had finally reopened. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, I then decided to head for dinner and ended up picking the Old Wild West restaurant chain where I had a burger with fries and beer. I then eventually headed back to my accommodation where I laid on the unstable bed covering up with all the blankets I could find as it was really cold in that room. That day I totaled yet again 35km.
The day after, I woke up early again and was soon after contacted by Giuseppe of the Gruppo dei 12, a walking association that takes care and administers the Via Francigena in its part in Lazio, who told me that the trail I intended to take that day would not be passable as it was fully covered in thick vegetation and he suggested then instead to take the bus directly to the next town. I thanked him for the suggestion and decided to think a little bit about it and in the meantime had breakfast with a croissant at the Bar Grande on the main square. After I that I came to the decision of just heading on foot along the car road and avoid the trail and the bus as well. I walked back down towards the beach and then followed the coastal way by passing through the nice baroque 17th century Porta Napoletana. As I walked along the coast, it was still relatively early so not much traffic was passing by, however, the road was narrow and without any sidewalk so it was still rather dangerous. As the minutes and hours passed the traffic got worse especially as the road I was walking on was part of the Statale Appia, a major road connecting the main urban area around. Eventually, after a few kilometers, and risking my life a few times in traffic, I managed to exit the main road and reach the next town, Monte San Biagio. Located on a hilltop, that meant I had to head uphill under the already warm sunny day. Once up there I then walked around the pretty old town and its lovely narrow winding streets. I tried entering its main church, that of San Giovanni Battista, but unfortunately found it closed. After that, I then descended back down towards the plain on the opposite of that which I came from and continued on for a while through the flat countryside bordered to the north by the Ausoni mountains. On the way, I found a supermarket, Conad, and I stopped to grab a piece of focaccia and several apricots as I was already famished. I ate them as I went and even managed to find a nice cherry tree where I picked some fruits to eat. Along the way, though I also saw many mandarins, oranges, and lemons the first two though (after trying one) were probably used for jam or perfume as they were super bitter. After a bit more hiking I came then in sight of the Abbey of San Magno, not far from my final destination of the day. Just as I reached the complex it started raining so I took refuge inside the church. Originally built during the 6th century to honor St Magnus, it later suffered refurbishments and restrictions particularly during the early middle ages and during the renaissance. It is now used by the dioceses to welcome visitors, host pilgrims, serve food and drinks, and in general function as a point of contact for the community. Still surviving of the complex are the medieval church with a crypt that preserves valuable frescoes; the Renaissance church, which was the one I used to escape the rain, and some other structures such as the mill, the guest quarters, and the oil processing tanks. The place was really nice and wonderfully refurbished, with soothing music playing inside the church, which made me wish to just stop there for the night; it felt more like a modern spiritual place than a religious monastery. As the rain quieted down a bit I decided to head on, but first I stopped at the bar inside the monastery where the friendly owner gave me the stamp for my pilgrim passport and talked a bit with me about my pilgrimage. After thanking him and saying goodbye I was off for the last few kilometers before reaching the city of Fondi. Before entering into town I stopped again at the supermarket to get some food for lunch and later dinner. I ate my lunch on a bench in front of it and had lasagne, chickpeas, and bell pepper. I then entered the old town coming from the west, and noticed immediately, as clearly shown when seeing the city from above or a satellite, the ancient roman encampment layout of the streets, all straight and crossing each other in a large square. As I walked along the main street I passed by the nice church of Santa Maria in Piazza, closed for the lunch break, and then by the main square, Piazza Unità d'Italia where the beautiful castle is located. It features a keep with a round tower dating to the 12th century and reaching a height of 30m and next to it is the main fortress building dating to the 14th century and once belonging to the Caetani family. The castle was built over a section of the ancient Roman walls and right in front of it, on the other side of the square are the ruins of the ancient Roman thermal baths. A little further on I then reached the church of St Francis where I was supposed to meet the priest who was going to host me in the parish for the night. I called him and he answered he was out of town but would be there soon. I waited for a bit and after his arrival discovered I wasn't actually going to stay there but in a parish about 3km outside of town. That was a bit of a bummer as I had intended to visit the rest of the city in the afternoon, but I nonetheless was happy to at least have found somewhere to sleep that night. After dropping me off on the northeastern outskirts of the city, where the small modern church of St Anthony is located, the priest then showed me the room where I would be staying, usually used as a classroom. Once he left though I noticed the bathroom had no shower and no bed to be found either, guessing he expected me to just sleep on the hard floor. Searching here and there though I managed to find a foldable bed tucked behind some furniture and a small heater to use as the night was still rather cold. As there was no shower I managed to wash some parts of my body using the sink, though the water was quite cold. Then after eating the dinner, I brought with me, I tried going to sleep, but some local kids seemed to have chosen the area in front of the church as their partying ground and so I didn't manage to get much rest till late in the night. That day I totaled 23km.
After an early rise up, the fact that I had slept outside the city meant I had to walk an extra 3km that day. So I left early, walking through the countryside, stopping at the first open bar to grab a donut for breakfast but as I didn't have a small change, the owner lady just gave it to me for free. I then reached the city of Fondi once again and here managed to visit some of the monuments I couldn't the previous day. I started out with the church of Santa Maria in Piazza, built at the end of the 14th century in a Gothic style with a nice interior featuring renaissance altars. I then stopped at a bakery to have another donut as I was still quite hungry. I passed by the castle once again and the 15th century Palazzo Caetani, or Palazzo del Principe, next to it. Then a little further I reached and entered the Duomo, featuring a typical gothic architecture, easily seen by its main portal and its interior. Particularly noteworthy was its Cosmatesque pulpit with mosaic decorations depicting geometrical and religious figures. After exiting the church I passed once more next to the Caetani castle and then reached the church of Saint Francis, where I was originally supposed to sleep, I visit its simple gothic interior. Here I met once more the priest, whom I thanked and then bade farewell, as I left the town heading southeastward. After a bit of walking through the countryside at the foot of the Aurunci mountains, I then reached a nice part where the trail ran on top of the ancient Roman Via Appia. A small archaeological park was organized around it with a map detailing the parts still surviving to this day. There were the original 3rd century B.C. sections as well as the 16th century Renaissance additions and the late 18th century Borbon ones. It was truly beautiful, and in a natural setting surrounded by the Aurunci mountains. Once in fact this was the only way to pass through the gorges of Sant'Andrea, while today a modern road for cars grants easy access through. As I walked, ever slightly uphill, along the beautiful trail, I also admired the ruins of the mansiones, the official ancient roman stopping place for government officials, postmen, and travelers alike to rest and change horses. Of the original 13km that separate the town of Fondi from that of Itri, only 3 are still exceptionally preserved and can be walked upon. Soon after the trail, as I came back on the main road I then approached the town of Itri, of which I immediately spotted its nice medieval stone castle towering above the town on a hilltop. Right before entering the old town, I stopped at a supermarket to get some food to eat. I then walked uphill to reach the core of the old town, passing by the beautiful romanesque bell tower of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, with clear Byzantine-Arab decorations. The church was destroyed, like many other buildings in town, during WWII and only the bell tower still survives. A little further on I then reached the church of San Michele Arcangelo, dating to the 11th century, with a nice Romanesque bell tower, and a mostly baroque interior. Right in front of the church, an old man with a kid in the stroller, probably his grandson, stopped me and asked where I was from. I told him Vicenza and he immediately said "oh so nice! Palladio, the villas, the Brenta, and the gold-making" and then said "oh, and what a lovely accent they have there" mentioning my Venetian accent. He was very nice and sweet and excused himself for stopping me to which I replied that it was not a problem and rather a nice gesture. Just ahead, as I walked through the narrow pretty streets of the old town, I then reached the castle, which was unfortunately closed. Sitting on the highest spot of the hill the town is built upon, it dominates Itri its surrounding valley, and the mountains around. It features a pentagonal tower with small embattled walls, attributed to Duke Docibilis I of Gaeta during the 9th century, and then a second tower added several centuries later, around mid 13th century, and a wall uniting the two, After that, I then headed back downhill, passing some other lovely streets and then found a nice spot in the shade where I ate my lunch, sandwich with salami and cheese, tomatoes and bell pepper and plums. It was then time to head away from the main pilgrimage way, which continued eastwards towards the nearby town of Formia and instead take a detour heading south towards Sperlonga. I had in fact decided to add an extra day and stop on the way in this seaside town I had always wished to visit but never managed to do so. So as I left Itri, I headed uphill, but then happily noticed, as I imagined it to be all like this to the end, that it was rather easy and with barely any ups and downs and along some nice country roads with villas dotting the landscape. Along the way, I also passed a surprising area filled with cork trees and roaming cows. As I approached then the coast from above, I started a slow and long descent while admiring the amazing view of the sea and coastline below with the blue water of the Thurrenian sea glistening in the sun. As I continued on, Sperlonga then appeared in the distance with its white buildings and tower contrasting with the blue sea; it was a really nice sight to behold. I was lucky enough to admire it in the sun because as soon as I reached it the clouds that had followed me since Itri were now covering the sun. I walked then through the pretty old town, with its typical white architecture, and narrow and confusing streets, oftentimes leading in the wrong direction. I walked around for a bit, admiring the architecture and getting lost until I then headed down to the seafront where I passed by the nice Torre Truglia. This coastal tower was originally built in 1532 over a pre-existing ancient roman town but was, together with the rest of the town, destroyed by the Ottoman fleet under Barbarossa during one of the many incursions it received by Saracens throughout its history. It was rebuilt in 1611 but again destroyed a few years later in 1623 by another incursion. Finally rebuilt in the 18th century it now is the town's main monument and most famous landmark. From the tower I then walked along the seafront, lined with modern buildings and hotels, and reached my accommodation, the Hotel Amyclae. I had in fact had an issue finding a place to sleep, as the town was not located along the Via Francigena and thus without any pilgrim accommodation, plus the prices for a room were really high as it was already June and on the seaside. Luckily the owner of the aforementioned hotel had written I could stay at the place for free, something that quite baffled and surprised me and I had thought it not to be true. Once there, I was warmly greeted and was really impressed to find out it was all true and I was able to sleep for free in a really nice hotel right on the beach. After checking in and showering I then decided to have dinner in the hotel, in order to repay them somehow but found out after ordering a few dishes that they also decided to offer me dinner as well. I had in fact taken a pasta dish with seafood as the first course, and pork loin with potatoes as the second course. I was really surprised and amazed and couldn't stop thanking them and their kindness. That day I totaled 29km.
The next morning, after a filling breakfast from the hotel buffet, which was also offered I went to thank the owner once more and was really speechless at his generosity. I asked how could I ever repay him and he just answered that a prayer at the end of my pilgrimage was enough for him. I promised I would certainly do so and then after saying goodbye, left the hotel and then the town of Sperlonga, heading southeast along the coast. I passed by the ruins of the Villa of Tiberio, a 1st century A.D. ancient roman villa once belonging to the emperor Tiberius which was built right on the seashore. It is now a museum and due to the early time, I did not visit it but instead admired it from above as I hiked up the cliff above it. I decided to follow the trail onwards because I thought I could evade the main trafficked way that had no sidewalk. The view from there was very nice and so was the trail. As I went around the mountain above the cliff, I turned around and admired the town of Sperlonga one last time glistening in the sun and with its white houses creating a beautiful stark contrast with the blue sea. A little further I then saw a long stretch of sand that makes the beach, here known as the Baia delle Sirene, or Bay of the Sirens. The trail ended before the beach and so I had to walk back alongside the main road which at least, now, had a wide curb. After passing the beach I then had to walk in a tunnel, as there was no trail to go around the mount, and luckily here the curb was large enough as well. After the tunnel, I passed another small beach and then I saw a man walking on top of a second cliff above the road. I tried catching his attention by waving and yelling at him, and after a few shouts succeeded. I then asked him how to get there and he told me there was a gate on the other side of the street, hidden behind some bushes, and that I could then just go through and follow the trail. That really helped as it made sure I would not need to stay on the main road with all the traffic. After following the path, I then met up with the man and saw he was a photographer as a hobby and had his small dog with him. He told me about the trail and to watch out as some spots were really narrow and right on the edge. I continued on admiring the beautiful view and passing then through a nice cave. At the other end of the cliff, after reaching the main road once more, I found a trail that headed down to a beach called the beach of the dolls so I followed it and then had a nice swim all alone. After a bit of relaxing the man with the dog came down as well and said hi. After talking with him one last time while drying in the sun, I then decided to head on and walked onwards finding out the trail continued still evading the main road. It was in fact, as I discovered later, the ancient Via Flacca used since ancient Roman times to connect the town of Sperlonga with Gaeta. After a bit, the road then came to a large long, and flat part of the land known as the Piana di Sant'Agostino, where I was finally able to walk on the sidewalk next to the beach. The road then headed back uphill, past some small promontories and cliffs filled with large villas and hotels and with a series of smaller beaches down below. After a bit, I then reached the Fontania beach a small beach with a view of Gaeta not too far, and the ruins of a 1st-century Roman villa built by Gneo Fonteo coming out of the water. I decided to stay there for a while and enjoyed the nice water and sun and the beautiful view of the bay. Then I was off again and soon after reached Gaeta and its modern suburbs close to the beach where I took some food from the supermarket Conad. From there I continued on and headed up the Monte Orlando, a 171m high promontory towering above the city of Gaeta, which also divides in tow, the new town to the west and the old town to the east. Halfway up, on the southern end of the mount facing the new town of Gaeta and the large beach of Serapo, I then reached the Santuario della Santissima Trinità, an 11th-century church later refurbished in the baroque style. Below it, there was the Grotta del Turco, a huge sea cave, 60m high. According to legend, the cave was formed at the time of Christ's death, when the veil of the temple of Jerusalem was torn. It is reachable through a staircase that leads into the bowels of the mountain; along it, on the rock of right wall, is the so-called hand of the Turk, the shape of a hand that, according to legend, was formed when a Turkish sailor, who did not believe the story he had been told about the cause of the crack in the rock, had leaned on the rock that miraculously became soft under his pressure forming the imprint of the hand. Unfortunately, though, the bottom of the cave was not accessible as it was closed off due to rockslides, however, a group of foreign students decided to jump the fence and head down. I really wanted to see it too but I didn't imitate the students as I still wished to continue on my journey without any problems. So I decided to sit down there and eat my lunch, comprised of cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella, and peaches. After eating I headed on to visit the sanctuary and the nearby Montagna Spaccata, a deep natural cut that splits the mountain in half and can be observed from a viewpoint right above the Grotta del Turco. Right after I heard a loud rumble and noticed some storm clouds fast approaching. I tried to hurry up Monte Orland where a series of gunpowder depots and forts had been built during the Bourbon rule. As I reached the top where the huge ancient roman mausoleum of Lucio Munazio Planco dating from 22 B.C. was located, the clouds had now completely covered the sun. I had intended to see Gaeta with the sun but that was now impossible. As I headed back down the mountain on the other side I soon came in sight of the old town perched on a rock right over the sea and with the nice castle and buildings. I decided to admire it so with the storm brewing in the vicinity and the grey architecture mixing well with the same colored rock of the promontory on which it sits. As I walked through town I tried to visit the main monuments but found them all closed. I passed the large neo-gothic church of St Francis, built over an original gothic church which is said the saint had seen completed. Due to its size and location, it is often mistaken for the town's cathedral. Continuing on I passed by the castle, which actually consists of two buildings from different periods united into a single large fortress on the highest point of the city. The western and oldest part is the Angevin castle, but during the 13th century, and seat of the military prison from 1862 to 1980. The eastern and newer part is known as the Aragonese castle and was built after 1536 and is now home to the Cavour and Mazzini barracks of the Guardia di Finanza. Both structures suffered heavy damage during the Siege of Gaeta which was the concluding event of the war between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which then ended in the unification of Italy in 1861.A bit further I then walked by the gothic church st Dominic, and the baroque one of St Catherine. As I headed downhill and reached the waterfront where the old port is located, I passed by another church, that of San Giovanni a Mare, dating to the 10th century with a beautiful cupola in the Norman–Arab–Byzantine style from the 12th century. Not far from there I passed by the cathedral which was closed as well. Its exterior is modern as it was built during the 20th century in a neo-gothic style over a previous building dating between the 9th and 13th centuries. From its ancient past is the beautiful bell tower built between 1148 and 1279 in a romanesque style with a clear Norman–Arab–Byzantine influx, like the ones found along the Amalfi Coast and Sicily. It is probably one of the most beautiful in Italy. After admiring the church from the outside I then continued along the waterfront and passed the Sanctuary of the Santissima Annunziata, a nice purely baroque structure that was also unfortunately closed. As I continued onwards I heard several people around me speaking with an American accent and figured out I was, in fact, passing right by the Nato base of Gaeta which is currently used as the home port for the flagship of the United States' Sixth Fleet. As I left the old town behind me, I continued north along the seafront and passed what seemed to be once a fishermen's town from the 18th and 19th centuries. Once an independent town, now it is a neighborhood of Gaeta known as Porto Salvo and features a typical geometrical plan of narrow streets which reminded me a lot of Salerno and Naples. After continuing on along the main road, sided by traffic, it started raining so I put on my waterproof clothes and continued on along a rather boring flat area where all the industries are located. After a while, I reached Formia, located right by the sea and closed to the north by the last tips of the Aurunci mountains. It featured a tiny old town, known as Castelleone, which to my demise, I found out was unfortunately uphill. That meant hiking up once and then back down later, and I was already very tired and still had some kilometers left. In the old town, I saw the nice 14th-century medieval tower, the Torre di Castelleone, and passed by the Cisternone Romano, an ancient roman cistern for the collection of water, dating back to the first century B.C. which was closed. As I left the old town, I headed back down along the seafront and passed by the nice Torre di Mola, a 27-meter 13th-century tower once part of a castle that was built right next to the old harbor. Finally, after one last stretch along the main road, I reached my accommodation, the Villaggio Don Bosco, a parish center that helps the community and occasionally grants places for passing pilgrims like me. I was shown to my room and then went to the nearby supermarket to get food. I then went to shower but the one in the room I was in with the bunk beds did not work so I went to another room to be able to wash. Then I headed down to the communal kitchen and cooked myself pasta with tomato sauce and zucchini and bell pepper on the pan. I left the place a donation of 7 euros. That day I totaled 35km.
The following morning, I woke up early and ate my breakfast on the way, peach juice, chocolate cookies, and two peaches. After a short while, I then reached a small archaeological area where the ancient Roman port of Gianola is located. First, I headed along a trail that brought me to the ruins of a cistern and the roman villa, then I followed the trail along the coast and reached the aforementioned port, set among a beautiful setting in a natural bay. From there I then headed up a trail that brought me through the forest and up the hill then back down the other side to reach the small beach the Spiaggia dei Sassolini. Quite reserved and empty there were only two people there so I decided to have a nice swim and enjoyed the sun for a while. Right above the beach, on a small promontory, I could see the Torre di Scauri, built by the viceroys of the Kingdom of Naples, between 1563 and 1590, with the aim of providing control and defense to the coast from piracy that infested the Mediterranean Sea. After the nice and relaxing swim, I then left the beach and headed on through the small modern town of Scauri walking along the seaside and then heading towards the interior, leaving the Tyrrhenian sea for good. After a bit of walking, I then reached then the hilltop town of Minturno with its nice old town; from the top, turning around I could clearly see the sea below and the city of Gaeta with its promontory in the distance. Here I visited the church of St Peter, a beautiful 12th-century monument featuring a mostly Romanesque structure, with a central frontal bell tower and baroque interior decorations. It also featured a lot of spolia from the ancient city of Minturnae nearby and a cosmatesque pulpit. Inside, I then met the priest, don Cristoforo, who, after learning of my pilgrimage, was very happy to illustrate the history of the church and show me around. He even brought me behind locked doors to show me the older 9th-century church and the catacombs below. After thanking him, he asked if i could pray for him once in S Maria di Leuca, to which I promised I would, and then I left the town stopping along the way at a supermarket to get lunch. I got a sandwich with ham, pecorino, an apple, and a banana. I ate on the way as there was still plenty of kilometers to walk. After a short distance from the town, I then reached the archeological area of Minturnae, once the ancient town, located along the Appian Way at the mouth of the Garigliano river. After paying for the ticket and entering I found out I was the only one there so so I managed to enjoy it fully. The city was once one of the five cities of the Aurunci tribe and was destroyed by the conquering Roman army in 314 B.C. It was later turned into an important ancient Roman city which was eventually destroyed by the Langobards around the 6th century, during the barbarian invasions. Thus the modern city of Minturno on the hill was founded thereafter. The archaeological site featured a nice theatre from the 1st century A.D, a short well-preserved section of the Appian Way, and a series of columns and arches belonging to the republican forum from the 2nd century B.C. After the visit, it was time to head on, and as I left the archaeological site I passed by the Ponte Real Ferdinando, a catenary suspension bridge built in 1832, the first-ever built in Italy and the second in the world after the one in the UK just a few years before. I continued on along the way, across a series of farmlands mostly consisting of cornfields. I passed through the town of Santi Cosma e Damiano mostly consisting of sparsed houses throughout the countryside and from there crossed a bridge over the Garigliano river into Campania. The bridge was closed off but I saw a woman crossing either way so I was able to pass as well, as otherwise, that meant walking for several kilometers till the next crossing. I had just left the Lazio region and was now walking in the Campania region. I started to feel my legs and tiredness but nonetheless continued onwards through the farmland. The sun eventually gave way to clouds, as it had happened the previous day, which meant at least that I didn't feel so hot anymore. I passed through the small town of Lauro and then after a nice area with lots of fruit where I picked off of some trees some peaches, apricots, and cherries. After passing through a hilly landscape, with fruit orchards, and parts of thick forest with interesting pathways dug into the tuff rock which reminded me a lot of those ancient Etruscan ones found in Tuscany and Lazio. Then I passed through the small town of Cupa, and shortly after following a slight climb up the Monte Ofelio, I reached the city of Sessa Aurunca where I would spend the night. I reached the Istituto Volpicelli, where I was supposed to sleep after I had confirmed it several weeks before, but once there I found no one even after ringing the bell and calling the phone several times. In the end, after waiting so long I just left and tried the nearby b&b Monte Ofelio where luckily the owners were there and let me inside. They were very friendly and after showing me to my room told me that if I wished their daughter was planning to head up into town. I didn't have time to shower as I decided to take that lift as I thought it would be too tiring to walk and then back down later. After getting off the car in the city center, I thanked the lady and then headed to find a place for dinner. I walked around, taking the chance to already see the beautiful ancient theatre, and then reached the Pizzeria da Nicola where I had a pizza diavola and a beer. Then from there, I walked all the way back to the b&b where I finally showered and went to sleep. That day I totaled a whopping 45km.
The morning after I had breakfast at the b&b and talked with the owner, especially about trash in Italy, corruption, and other topics like locally grown food, etc. Then I went through Sessa and visited its city center which I just briefly saw the night before. I passed by and entered the church of the Annunziata, rebuilt during the 18th century in a Baroque style. Right close to it is the Ducal Castle, built around the 10th century and later modified, particularly during the 15th century, to make it more suitable for court life and make it fitter as a residence than a defensive structure. From the castle I continued on along the main street and then, exited the town through the southern gate Porta dei Cappuccini, from 1766, to reach the theatre which I just briefly saw the night before. The theatre was built on a slope facing the gulf of Gaeta in the 1st century A.D when the city was known as Suessa during the ancient Roman era and could hold between 6000 and 7000 spectators. To visit it I needed to wait well over an hour when it would first open, so I decided instead to just admire it from the outside and continued the rest of my visit through the town. I passed by the church of San Giovanni a Villa, which was closed, and then reached the cathedral which was an unexpected surprise. Romanesque in style, and dating to the 12th century, it features a beautiful facade and an even nicer interior divided into three naves with a Cosmatesque mosaic floor, ancient Roman and medieval columns, a refined ambo, like a pulpit, dating from 1259 which reminded me a lot of those found in Salerno and the Amalfi Coast, and then a beautiful ceiling with baroque decorations creating an impressive contrast with the medieval architecture below. After visiting the cathedral, I left the city heading east, following the trail down the valley of the mills, so-called because of the mills that were once constructed along the river flowing here, and then through beautiful gorges which reminded me of the Etruscan Vie Tagliate. As I came out once more from the forest I turned around and admire the view of the town of Sessa Aurunca with its medieval old town, set among a nice scenery with the mountains in the background and beautiful clear blue sky. After passing some nice sceneries I walked through some minor hamlets like Marzuli, Corbara, Fontanelle, and Casamostra. Right there at the last village, I gazed at the beautiful scenery of the large plain towards the sea surrounded by mountains and in the distance the Vesuvius and Ischia. I even met an old couple, husband and wife, leading their goats along the trail to a higher altitude and fresher grass; accompanying them were also two dogs who luckily didn't even bother my presence there and just continued peacefully. As I approached the town of Teano, i passed by and visited the Convento di Sant'Antonio, a nice baroque church with a late gothic cloister, and from there had a nice view of the old town in front of me. I then entered the city center, passed by the Cathedral but was already closed for lunch and walked further. I found in fact all the other buildings in town closed as well, the gothic church of San Francesco, the Annunziata, with the beautiful bell tower decorated with colorful majolica dating to 1502, and the romanesque church of San Benedetto, so I just passed by and admire then from the exterior. As I reached the main square, Piazza Umberto I, a man saw me and asked if I was doing the Francigena to which I answered positively, so he brought me to the tourist info point nearby to give me the stamp and take a picture of me with the sign of the pilgrimage way. He then told me to visit the archeological museum nearby, which I gladly accepted, and after reaching it a friendly man showed me the interior and let me visit the beautiful collection, which I even discovered was free. It featured a really nice and large collection of ancient artifacts from the ancient Roman period and the period of the Sidicini, a local italic population, that came before the Romans. The man then talked a lot with me about my walk, vaccines, and other topics and then brought me upstairs to the terrace where I had a nice view of the old town. From here I could see the aforementioned bell tower of the church of the Annunziata, and another bell tower covered in majolica, from the nearby church of Santa Caterina. After the visit I thanked the man for his kindness and availability and asked if I could leave some kind of donation for the museum, he said that wasn't necessary and wished me well for my pilgrimage, I thanked him and left the museum, looking then for a supermarket to get some food for lunch. I then sat on a nearby bench and had mozzarella di bufala, tomatoes, fennel, and strawberries. After finishing to eat I then decided to head out of town and continue on my walk. First, though I passed a monument depicting two men on horseback, representing the famous, Handshake of Teano. In fact, the town was the site of the famous meeting that occurred on the 26th of October 1860, between the Italian general and patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi and the King of Sardinia, Victor Emanuel II. Garibaldi, through his famous expedition, had marched all the way up from Sicily, wresting the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies from the Neapolitan Bourbons, and met up with the King who had instead come down from Piedmont to meet him. Garibaldi could have continued further and conquered Rome but that might have caused an international crisis, due to the Pope's request for help, and that would have provoked the intervention of Napoleon III and jeopardized the conquests made so far. So the two met, and Garibaldi had decided to stop there, shake Victor Emanuel's hand and hail him as the new King of Italy sacrificing republican hopes for the sake of Italian unity under a monarchy. As I exited the old town, I then passed the nice ancient Roman theatre, originally dating to the 2nd century B.C., but rebuilt in the 2nd century A.D and with a diameter of 85m. From there I then continued along the flat countryside, experiencing also a brief rain pour of just about 5 minutes. The sun shone back again as I crossed some farmlands, here surrounded by some beautiful low mountains so green it looked like Umbria or Veneto. After a bit more walking I then reached the small town of Riardo and thanks to the pilgrim friend Luigi which I met in Velletri with the other pilgrims I stopped at the cafe Riardvs and had a nice and well-deserved refreshment: ice tea, taralli, and peanuts. The owner said it would be paid for by Luigi who I then thanked dearly on the phone, and after thanking the owner as well I then headed into town to visit the city center. I walked through its narrow medieval streets, passing by the main parish church of Santa Maria a Silice, and the nice clock tower, before then reaching the main monument, the castle, at the highest spot in town. Here, the friendly locals who were warned by the pilgrim Luigi about my arrival gave me a great tour of the castle. The two young high schoolers who were my guides and dressed up in medieval clothing gave me all the details and history of the structure and showed me around. Probably of Langobard origin, the castle's current aspect dates from the later refurbishment during the 13th century. I visited the many chambers including kitchens, living quarters, and defensive features. Now mostly in ruins, it is still a great place to visit and the view from the top of the walls of the battlements was incredible, dominating the Savone plain and with the verdant high peaks of the Trebulani mountains to the south. After thanking the friendly guides, I then left Riardo and after a short last walk reached the town of Pietramelara. Here I stopped at a supermarket and got some food for breakfast and then checked in my accommodation, the Casa Mozzi, for which I paid just 16 euros. Then I headed into town and visited the city center which looked nice at the bottom but on the way up to the tower looked old and abandoned with many crumbled houses. Then after heading back down I stopped for dinner at the Pizzeria del Corso where I had a pizza Margherita with bufala mozzarella and beer. That day I totaled 36km.
After getting up early I immediately left and had breakfast on the way (orange, cookies, apple, and banana). I then reached and passed the town of Roccaromana, dominated by the Monte Melito, which is topped by an ancient medieval Langobard tower. From the town I then started my ascent of the mount; I was supposed to go all the way up to where the ancient tower stands but decided to take the easier way as that day I was going to walk many kilometers that day so I needed to save up all the walking I could. I then passed through the village of Statigliano and also from here the way suggested to go up and through the forest-covered mountainous landscape. I thought that to be harder and longer and that the trail might be covered in overgrown plants so again I decided on the easier way and followed the main road instead. I walked through a nice peaceful landscape, surrounded by greenery until I reached the town of Baia e Latina at the foothills. From there the way was flat once more; I passed through the small town of Dragoni and then headed northwards through the large fertile plain known as Piana Alifana, closed to the north by the tall Matese mountains. This area was really nice and reminded me a lot of the area where I'm from. After a bit of walking, I then reached the town of Alife with its well-preserved ancient wall surrounding the original roman castrum plan of the city. In fact, if seen from above or just by walking through its streets one can easily notice the orderly squared plan of the city. In the old town, I managed to visit the nice Cathedral, rebuilt in the baroque form during the 18th century following a devastating earthquake that damaged it in 1688. As I left town heading on I passed by the remains of the ancient Roman amphitheater, now just partly revealed with the rest still hidden underground. I then stopped at the supermarket and got lunch: two buns with seeds and turmeric filled with salami, tasty slightly spicy dark olives, two carrots, and two peaches, and an energy drink as I felt I would need it that day. A little bit further I found a spot under a tree next to the road to eat my lunch. As I walked onwards, I admired the beautiful panorama of the peaks surrounding the plain: to the south the Trebulani mountains and to the north the tall Matese mountains. Then the tougher part began as I started my ascent of a nice but hilly landscape just as the sun was starting to get strongest. I passed some small hamlets and stopped at the Santuario Della Madonna del Bagno, a remote 18th- century church, to have a short break. I had walked already 30km and still had many more to go. As I reached the next town Gioia Sannitica I had originally planned to visit its castle, but when I saw how far up perched on a hilltop it was, I decided to, unfortunately, skip it and continue on as that would have easily added more than an hour and several kilometers to the many I already had and would still need to walk. After Gioia Sannitica, I then reached the next town, Faicchio featuring a nice old town at the foothills of the Matese mountains. Above it, perched halfway up the mountain I also noticed the convent of San Pasquale, an 18th-century church rebuilt after that same earthquake of 1688. As I walked through the old town of Faicchio I then passed by the nice castle, originally a Langobard 12th-century structure later refurbished during the 15th and 16th centuries which gave it its current Renaissance appearance. As I passed by the main church, the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, which was closed, and left town heading southwards following a road at the foot of the low mountains, dark clouds coming from the mountain had now covered the sun and I was actually thankful for that as it meant a respite from the sun. After a bit more walking I then reached the last town for the day, San Salvatore Telesino. Here I then entered the main church, Santa Maria Assunta, and admired the baroque interior while taking a break. Then I tried visiting the Abbazia benedettina del Santissimo Salvatore, a 10th century Langobard and later Norman abbey, but it was unfortunately closed. Finally, after the last stretch, I reached the Villa La Quercia Resort where I would spend the night. As I arrived I saw there was some kind of party going on with several people and kids in the pool and a DJ. I wasn't able to use the pool because of it, but in the end, it was already late and I just wanted a shower and to lay in bed. I checked in and then for dinner asked if I could eat there as I was in the middle of the countryside and did not wish to walk one more meter. The owners told me they would find something for me and then brought me lasagne, carrots, and fruit which I happily ate then ready to go to sleep early. That day I totaled 44km.
In the morning I left the resort and soon after passed through Telese Terme with its Norman tower once belonging to the 11th-century Cathedral which was destroyed during the violent earthquake of 1349 and never rebuilt. Walking through the city center, which is rather modern, I noticed the many indications to the thermal baths that gave the name to the town and its popularity, in fact, I could easily smell the sulfur as I walked around. After leaving town, I walked through a country road staying right below the Taburno Camposauro mountain to my right, with views of the Matese mountains in the distance to the left. At a railway crossing, a man waiting in the car asked what I was doing and I told him of the pilgrimage, he then told me about his son and daughter living in northern Italy and then wished me good luck on my walk. Right after the bridge, I took a scenic bridge to cross the Calore river, known as the Ponte Maria Cristina di Borbone, built in 1835 by Ferdinand II King of the Two Sicilies, and name after his wife. It was unfortunately destroyed by retreating German troops during WWII and so rebuilt in a not so faithful way. From there I then passed a few minor villages Santo Stefano, Chiesa dei Pagani, Mandarisi, and Isca, and also got a lot of cherries and some apricots from the trees along the way. They were perfectly ripe and really tasty and at one point was so full I stopped eating them and just took some extra ones for later. I was also confronted by a dog at one point who was barking and snarling and blocking the way onwards. Luckily a car was driving by and so I took the chance to use it as a shield between the dog and me to pass. Shortly after I reached a supermarket and took some food to eat. I passed through the town of Ponte and then found a spot on the side of the road under a tree to eat my lunch where I had a sandwich with salami, a slice of pizza, olives, cucumber, and ice tea. As I got back on track, the way became more hilly with tougher climbs. The panorama though was very nice with vineyards all around and the Taburno Camposauro to my right. At one point I saw a group of people having a picnic under a tree next to a vineyard who saw me walking and asked where I was headed. I told them about the hike and they asked if I wanted apricots and some wine. I thanked them for their kind offering but told them I had just eaten and had to walk on. So I continued and after a few kilometers now on flatter land eventually reached the city of Benevento. I quickly passed by the Cathedral, Arch of Trajan, and then the church of St Sophia which I had seen previously a few years before with my family on a day trip from Salerno. After walking through the whole city I arrived at the carabinieri station where my uncle, who was now living in Benevento, then brought me to the b&b right outside the city center. We had tea, talked with the owner and then he went back to work. For dinner, we then had carbonara, zucchini on the grill, salad, bruschetta, and medlars, all with wine and grappa to end it. Corrado the owner also made us herbal tea with the herbs he had in the garden: rosemary, mint, and melissa which was really tasty and relaxing. That day I totaled 34km.
In the morning I woke up at the same time as my uncle, and after some breakfast, he dropped me off right outside the city center so as to skip the trafficked main road. I said goodbye and started my day; as I walked past a prison though I got stopped by the guard who told me to go another way and not walk so close. I complained stating that I was walking for many days and had many more to go and each road that could make me save some kilometers was well appreciated, but nonetheless, he persisted saying that it was too close to the prison gates and so I had to take another street. Shortly after I reached the industrial area of Benevento where a lot of pasta brands are made. Here two stray dogs came out of nowhere to sniff me out and then decided I was worth following. They followed me for nearly half an hour and I had no way of sending them back. They were super cute and friendly but I didn't wish to lead them too far out in the countryside as they then might not know the area and not find food or water. So I stopped for a bit and they did the same but eventually lost interest in me and headed back from where they came. As I continued on, the landscape turned hilly with several steep ups and downs. The views though were incredible, with infinite horizons filled with fields over fields of mostly grain with the occasional olive groves. Behind me, Benevento was getting smaller and above it and around it the Taburno Camposauro mountain in the background. I then passed right below the town of Paduli and through a minor hamlet, Ignazia. The signage for the pilgrimage way was once again really good and easily spottable, unlike the part between Teano and Benevento; though I was told that it still needs to be made and that's why it is not visible. Every now and then in fact there was a large sign describing the history, surroundings, and locations around it, with some nice rest areas along the way as well. I continued along the way and followed a nice trail through the open hilly countryside with no one or nothing in sight. I was in fact often worried about shepherd dogs or loose dogs from houses which in the past days had given me problems trying to scare me by barking and threatening me. At one point I decided to take a short break under a tree and then a black scruffy dog came upon me from the bushes next to the trail. He observed me and got closer so I tried giving it almonds, but it seemed like he didn't care. He cautiously came closer and then sprinted out on the field and then back on the trail and continued on. He was probably very afraid of me and just wished to pass. I felt the same as him with other mean dogs blocking my way, so I really understood his situation. I was soon after in sight of the town of Buonalbergo where I would be spending the night. Right before the town, a sign indicated the roman bridge of the Chianche and the Santuario della Macchia to the right following another trail, but I decided to just head to the town instead and skip those two monuments. After an uphill climb, I reached the city center and a woman called out my name from afar. It was Fernanda the owner of the Casa del Pellegrino where I would spend the night. She showed me in the house and then told me that if needed the supermarket would close soon. I thanked her and went to get some food. I then brought it back and had lunch at the place tomatoes, mozzarella, tuna, chickpeas, and olives. After sitting on a chair and tanning right outside the entrance door for a little while I decided to take a walk around town. I visited the city center which was mostly made of ruined houses, such a sadness which I thought might be resolved with the 1 euro houses project where the city sells the buildings for a symbolic price of 1 euro and which then have to be renewed and refurbished by the new owners. Then I reached a bench and decided to spend the rest of the time reading while admiring the beautiful view that was laid out in front of me. Buonalbergo in fact sits on a hilltop and dominates a beautiful hilly landscape that stretches far out over the horizon; I could even spot the town of Montecalvo Iripino in the distance. After that, I headed back to the accommodation, and then the owners Fernanda and her husband had dinner with me. We had spaghetti with tomato sauce, bread, bell peppers and aubergines, eggs, lentils, and cherries all with some nice local wine. We talked a lot about my hike about my past and future and they complained about their son not wanting to do anything. I told them the solution might be to send him away to some other place in Italy or abroad so that he could live a little alone and learn to fend for himself. After dinner, I paid the lovely couple and instead of 20euros I gave them 25 as I thought the place and food were great. They were very surprised and happy about that and thanked me immensely to which I said that the one who should be grateful was me, after such a lovely dinner and friendly company. That day I totaled just 24km which helped a lot in breaking the consecutive days of extensive walking and allow me to relax a little more.
The day after I left early and after an hour reached the small town of Casalbore. Here I got a croissant and then visited the tiny city center with the Norman tower. The symbol of the town, it was built during the 12th century and was part of the castle that stood on the highest spot. Nowadays only part of the complex remains with one part dedicated to a small museum and the rest to private properties. After leaving the town, the trail started to head through the vast open endless expanse of wheat fields as far as the eye could see. I barely saw any buildings or any people at all, apart from sparse solitary farmers working the land on their tractors. Luckily a light breeze and some clouds helped me with the heat. At one point though as I first headed down towards a small stream and crossed it, when trying to go up on the other side I found a signpost of the pilgrimage and the GPS both indicating to go up to the left but that seemed impossible. I tried for half-hour to find the way through, but the bushes and groves were too thick and I got a lot of cuts and scrapes for nothing. So instead I tried following what seemed to be a small treaded-over way on the side of a field through the tall wheat that somebody before had walked on. It was still hard but at least manageable and eventually, I reached the road again. Here two men with their barking dogs asked me how I managed to cross through and I told them I had wondered the same myself. After telling me that the way ahead was now much better I thanked them and continued on. Then passing by the ruins of the ancient city of Aequum Tuticum, once a Roman vicus on the crossroads of two important roads most probably abandoned following the barbarian invasions, I continued on and the road got nicer and easier. Eventually, I reached the hamlet of Tre Fontane where a monumental fountain gave me fresh water. In fact, the locality was well known since the renaissance when a large complex with a tavern was set up there to host a small community and service travelers passing by there. In fact, since ancient Roman times the well-known Via Traiana, an imperial road built by emperor Trajan over the older Via Minucia, passed in these lands connecting Benevento to Brindisi. I also curiously noticed the signpost describing the area was written both in Italian and in Arbëreshë, as the town of Greci, which the locality is part of, still features a large community of Arbëreshë people, an Albanian ethnolinguistic group who fled from Morea between the 14th and the 18th centuries to escape the Ottoman invasion of the Balkans and settled in large parts of southern Italy. Next to the fountain, was a house with barking dogs but the owners told me not to worry. However, I did not wish to eat with them constantly barking and growling so I headed on. At one point I just found a spot along the road on the grass and ate my food there: leftovers from the day before, bread, bell pepper, chickpeas, and olives. Then after walking onwards I finally entered Puglia and soon found all around me the typical wind turbines that characterize this area. In fact, as I continued onwards I then highest point so far 950m above sea level and surrounded by an open hilly landscape, perfect for the wind turbines. This area is known as Daunia and features some low mountains which form the highest points in Puglia. From that point I was amazed at the sight in front of me: the vast arid plain of northern Puglia, all yellow and contrasting with the green grass and landscape I had just seen in this last part of my walk. In the distance, I also spotted the Gargano mountain massif where I would be heading towards in the next few days. Then I started my descent, with still many wind turbines dotting the landscape and their barely bearable swishing sound, and soon after reached the small town of Celle San Vito. Curiously, I had never heard of it and found out that it is a village with a recognized Franco-Provençal minority. It is not sure how such a community came to be here in the far south of Italy, well over 800km from its original provenance between France, Switzerland, and Italy. Most of the hypotheses tend to attribute it to a migration that might have taken place around the middle ages, probably due to a conflict or to the period in which Charles I of Anjou was King of Naples. Nevertheless, it is interesting that such a small town with its neighboring one, Faeto, still maintain this language among some of its inhabitants, particularly the older ones. In fact, even the streets, as I walked through the city center had double naming, once in Italian and once in Franco-Provençal. I then reached and checked in the b&b and then tried to sleep a little as I was starting to feel a headache coming. After getting up for dinner the headache did not vanish, unfortunately, so nonetheless I went to eat at the restaurant of the b&b, Le Fontanelle. Here they made me orecchiette with tomato sauce, and pork with cheese and lemon sauce and asparagus. They also brought water and wine. The headache was getting worse so I just managed to eat the first course and the meat of the second course. I had a sip of wine and drank half the water but my head was exploding. I told them all was good but I just didn't feel well. The owner then brought me ibuprofen and for dessert some melon. After we talked a little and she told me she had been in Vicenza when she was operated there at the hospital. After thanking them and paying for dinner, instead of 40euros she asked for just 35 including the b&b, I headed back to the accommodation and to sleep. However, I soon noticed my face started to get large kinds of insect bites and I guess I was having an allergic reaction that may be due to the medicine. After a while, my face was normal again and I managed to fall asleep. That day I totaled 32km.
In the morning after I woke up at 6am, the earliest so far, and I got the breakfast that they had made me the night before and ate it on the way: croissant, apple, peach juice, and my almonds. Then I started my descent towards the plains with a beautiful view ahead of me. The way was then straight and mostly flat through the vast landscape of wheat fields and occasional wind turbines. Then after about three hours walking like that, I reached the town of Troia, set on a flat hilltop dominating the landscape. As I entered through the city center, I passed by the Basilica of San Basilio Magno dating to the 11th century, which was closed, and then reached the beautiful Cathedral. Built between 1093 and 1125 it is considered a masterpiece of Apulian Romanesque architecture and known for its elegant and incredible rose window and the bronze doors of the facade completed in 1119. The interior is simple yet airy and elegant with an odd number of Corinthian columns and a nice romanesque pulpit from 1169.
After admiring its beautiful architecture, next to it I then also visited the church of San Benedetto with its nice baroque interior. As I then continued through town along the main street, I stopped at a grocery store to ask if there was any fountain nearby. The man told me there weren't any but if I wanted he could give me some from the tap of his shop. I thanked him and in return bought some fruit and veggies from him: 2 peaches, apricots, tomatoes, and a cucumber. Then I walked further and stopped at the supermarket to get bread with ham and an ice tea to eat for lunch. It was time to leave and head straight to Lucera. In fact, the original plan was for me to continue following the Via Francigena and from Troia reach the small town of Castelluccio dei Sauri, southeast from there. Then continue on in the direction of Cerignola further east towards Bari. However, I had seen another pathway, the Via Micaelica, or Way of the Archangel Michael, which from Rome reached the Sanctuary of the Archanegol in the nearby town of Monte Sant'Angelo. This meant I was going to add a few more days to my walk but I really wished to take this little detour to explore this part of Puglia as well. From Troia in fact I was meant to head northwards, stopping in Lucera that night, and then the next day in San Severo where I could finally join the Via Micaelica coming from the west and then following it for two more days to reach the destination. So as I finally changed the direction of travel, from Troia I headed northwards towards Lucera. The way was quite boring straight and flat along the vast expanse of golden wheat fields with cars speeding by once in a while. At one point a friendly man exiting his house with a car stopped and asked where I was from. I told him from where and then talked and about my hike; he then told me to think about him while hiking up Monte Sant'Angelo and to look at the beautiful views and landscape for him as well. Then he also asked if I wanted his contact in case something happened; I thanked him and told him I had my aunt's friend living in nearby Lucera but that he was very kind to offer. After saying goodbye, I set myself back on track, and after a bit more walking I decided to eat my lunch on the way as I continued walking. Finally, after a bit, I reached Lucera and entered through the southern gate, Porta Troia. Then I headed to the fortress built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II when he decided to settle a large population of Saracens rebels of Sicily during the 13th century that eventually turned the city into a thriving and pacific Muslim settlement for nearly a century. In 1300, however, after the defeat of the last of the House of Hohenstaufen, the city was sacked by the Christian forces of Charles II of Naples and its Muslim inhabitants were exiled or sold into slavery. The Angevins then proceeded to tear down any monuments and buildings that were built during the Muslim period and also proceeded to fortify and refurbish the castle turning it into the monument that can be seen today As I reached it I found out the entrance was unfortunately already closed as it was open only in the morning, but I could still admire from the outside. I walked around its perimeter, set on top of a hill known as Colle Albano that featured an amazing view over the surrounding landscape and the Daunia mountains in the distance. From the castle, I then headed to Paolina's house, a good friend of my aunt Michela, where she then made me more food to eat; a quiche with zucchinis, frittata with zucchini, a typical Pugliese bread-like bruschetta known as Frisella with tomatoes, and chicken with lemon and apricots to finish it all off. Then after a bit of resting, we went back to the city center and she showed me around bringing me again to the fortress and then through the old town to pass by some of the main monuments. We stopped at the cathedral, built by Charles Anjou around the beginning of the 14th century, most probably on the Muslim mosque which in turn had been built over a previous church as well. It features a typical Gothic architecture which a large and airy interior and dominates the city's main square, Piazza del Duomo. We then passed by the Basilica of San Francesco, another Gothic church, which was closed, and then the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, a baroque one, also closed. We then headed on to see the ancient Roman amphitheater but found out we were too late and that was closed as well. Then for dinner, we went to a pizzeria called Made in Naples in the city center and had a nice pizza Diavola with beer. Then we also stopped for ice cream at the gelateria Caldo & Freddo, which seemed to be very popular, and then had a last stroll through town. Finally headed home to sleep after totaling 42km that day.
The following day, I woke up early but stayed in Paolina's house for a while longer until she was also ready to leave for work. I then headed back into town and then walked to the ancient Roman amphitheater as it was supposed to open at 9am since I hadn't been able to see it the day before.
As I arrived I found it open so headed in and after paying the 2euro fee visited one of the best-preserved amphitheaters ever. Located just outside the city center to the east it was built during the 1st century A.D. and could host between 16.000 e 18.000 spectators. The arena measures 75,20m. X 43,20m and features two beautiful portals at each of the two ends, the eastern and western ones. After visiting the beautiful monument it was time for me to head north in the direction of the city of San Severo. It was rather late already, about 10am, and the sun was already strong. I decided to take an alternative route than the one on the GPS as it passed through a trafficked road which I wished to bypass and so I thought to take a minor road instead. It turned out to be a good decision as it was mostly empty all the way to the end. The way was rather straight and boring passing through the typical landscape of golden wheat fields of this area. A little bit of difference and green color came by with vineyards and olive trees as I got closer to San Severo. On the way, there were also barely any trees and no towns or even villages to go through. I found an abandoned house about halfway and decided to stop there to have lunch which Paolina had given me in the morning: a sandwich with chicken breast, fried zucchini pie, and zucchini frittata, plus apple and apricots. After then passing again through fields over fields I soon reached my destination. Right before arriving though two men on bicycles stopped and asked where I came from; I could barely understand as they spoke in the local dialect. After telling them from where I was and that I was hiking along the pilgrimage way, one of them asked me why I hadn't stolen a bicycle to do save time and energy. I told him I didn't really wish to take someone else's bicycle, plus it was better for me on foot. They weren't so satisfied with my answer and told me I was a bit crazy to walk all the way and then just continued on cycling while laughing and yelling out for no reason. Then finally I reached the city and the parish of the Divine Providence, located in the southwestern part of town. Don Salvatore whom I had contact with in the past weeks on WhatsApp was doing the pilgrimage of Santiago in Portugal and was not able to meet me in person. so instead I met with Don Mario who showed me to the interior. The room I was supposed to stay in, which is usually used as a classroom, unfortunately, did not have a mattress so I was supposed to sleep on the floor, and unlike the other parish in Lazio, I was not able to find anything resembling a mattress. I just found a few folded thick curtains which I used to lay on the floor but still felt really stiff. The place though thankfully had at least a shower and a kitchen. After showering I then decided to explore the city center and visited the nice churches; I passed by the baroque Cathedral which featured a beautiful 18th-century bell tower with the top decorated in majolica. Then I entered the Church of San Severino, considered the oldest religious monument in town it originally dates to the 11th century, it featured a gothic structure with a baroque interior and the bell tower which features the bottom part from the 12th century and the top crowned by nice 18th-century majolica. I then passed by the churches of San Francesco, now hosting the city museum, the church of the Santissima Trinità, and the church of San Nicola di Mira, all closed but with nice facades and bell towers. Then I visited the last church, which I found open, the Santuario Della Beata Vergine del Soccorso with a nice baroque structure and interior. What I found out as I walked through town were in fact the impressive and beautiful bell towers dotting the city with its colored majolica tips. After the visit to the city center, I stopped at a supermarket to get food for dinner breakfast, and lunch next day. When I came back to the parish I started preparing dinner and made tortelloni with pumpkin, salad, and tomatoes, and melon. Then a whole group of people came to start a dinner party. They talked with me a bit and then started preparing their food. Also, Don Mario the priest who let me in came and talked with me a little; he apparently has the same issue with the knee after walking a few kilometers. Then I finally decided to head to sleep, on the floor with a few pillows to support which, as I had imagined, didn't really work. Furthermore, the people right outside having the party were so loud and I couldn't fall asleep. Eventually, when I heard all were gone I eventually moved to the sofa in the kitchen and decided to lay there instead finally managing to sleep a little better. That day I totaled 31km.
In the morning I woke up early and after breakfast with skyr, smoothie, peaches, and banana I headed out of the city and onwards along the way. As I left San Severo, I was finally following the Via Micaelica which in two days would take me to the Sanctuary of the Arcangel. I started to walk through a vast extensive part filled with olive trees, and at one point two stray dogs laying under some of the trees saw me and began to bark but luckily didn't get close. Then as I walked onwards lulled by the sounds of the cicadas and the heat already beating on me early on, I met an old man, Alfonso, in the olive groves who told me about his artisanal making. He told me he had a shop in San Severo and that I should come by so he would give me a little something as a gift. I told him I wasn't sure when I would be back as I still needed to walk many more days in the opposite direction, and he then told me that wherever I would be back to pass by and say hi, and then asked me to pray for him when I would reach Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo. Then the way continued across olive groves until it reach the wide and vast expanse of golden wheat fields, alternated by the occasional asparagus ones. I then followed the trail which ran on top of an old railway and later reached the main road. Here the trail continued on around the fields and towards the foot of the mountains but I had read it was hard to follow and spot so due to its scarce use and overgrown plants and so I decided to follow the main road instead. It was a bit trafficked but it had enough space to the side so eventually, after a slight uphill climb, I reached the sanctuary of Santa Maria di Stignano. Generally, the sanctuary functions as a stage point for pilgrims, but as I reached it I found it closed. From the outside though I still managed to admire its wonderfully colored majolica cupola. As I still had some way to go, I decided to take a break here at the sanctuary and eat my lunch: farro salad, tomatoes, cucumber, and banana. Then a camper van arrived and a friendly old couple asked if I wanted some ice tea or food; I thanked them but declined and told them about my pilgrimage. They had 2 little cute dogs just like Scoobie who were staying in the shade under the van as protection from the now scorching sun. After saying goodbye to the friendly couple I got back on track and continued along the main road for about another hour or so instead of taking the longer and the harder route up and around the mountain. I eventually reached the town of San Marco in Lamis where I waited for my hosts to pick me up and bring me to the house as they had said it would be hard to find. After being picked up and brought to the accommodation in the city center and was shown inside the nice little house that used to belong to the grandma who had died just a few years ago; they told me, in fact, they were planning to sell it and that I would probably be one of the last pilgrims to stay there. After a nice shower decided to nap a little as the walk and heat had taken their toll on me. Then I headed out and walked around the city center passing by the main monuments in town which were all unfortunately closed: the church of Santa Maria Addolorata, that of the Santissima Annunziata, and that of San Giuseppe. What I noticed though was that the town was rather crowded with many people. young and old walking about and enjoying their day; it looked very lively and that was nice to see, maybe due to the proximity to the sea and the fact that it is at about 550m above sea level made it less hot than down in the plains. After walking through town I then stopped by at a supermarket to get groceries. I came back to the house and then cooked myself some dinner; pasta with tomato sauce, tomatoes and mozzarella, and watermelon. The owners had kindly left me some stuff including the sauce, tomatoes, a tiramisu which I didn't eat, and figs and cherries. I decided to leave the owners 15 euros for the night due to their generosity. That day I totaled 28km.
The following day I left early as usual and ate my breakfast on the way; I had the fruit and some cookies I bought. I left San Marco in Lamis following the main road and passed the Santuario di San Matteo, just east of the old town, which since ancient times was used to shelter and support passing pilgrims on their way to Sanctuary of the Arcangel. Then right above it I passed the small hamlet of Celano and on the way met several stray dogs, apparently a typical occurrence in this area of Italy. I was now walking right through the Gargano promontory, a mountain massif projecting into the Adriatic Sea, known to be the form of the sour in the boot that Italy is known to look like. Then as I was continuing on the main road, from one of the houses on the side of the road, a few dogs ran out barking and trying to attack me but luckily just in time, the owner called them back. Not long after I then reached the town of San Giovanni Rotondo known for being the home of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina from 28 July 1916 until his death on 23 September 1968. In fact, as I approached the town I immediately visited the Sanctuary of Saint Pio located on the western side, the one I was coming from. It was built in 2004 by the architect Renzo Piano and is a typical modern building like the one I had seen in Fatima in Portugal, and similarly had a weird atmosphere which I couldn't quite place. The sanctuary featured an upper part and a lower one where the tomb with the body of Padre Pio is located. Next to the modern building I then visited the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where Padre Pio resided during his life. In fact, this was the original place where the monk and later saint stayed which was, even before his death, due to the high number of pilgrims and visitors coming to see him, expanded in 1956 which a more modern and larger church next to it. Then after several years following his death, with mostly just donations from devotees, another church, even larger than the 1950s one, was built which was the one completed in 2004 by Renzo Piano. After visiting the complex I then headed on towards town and reached a supermarket where I bought some lunch to take with me. From there a little more walking brought me to the old town which I quickly visited as it was rather small which not much to see, before then leaving on to follow the trail. At one point I was supposed to take a secondary road which would then become a countryside trail however I wasn't sure about the markings and I had already seen right ahead of me a pair of loose dogs that I really didn't want to confront. So instead I continued along the main road which luckily wasn't that trafficked but still had some speeding cars. In fact, at one point as I was walking a few hours like so, a car even passed right by me and the driver just looked at me and pointed at his head mouthing the word: "crazy" to me. I immediately flipped him off and thought he was an asshole, as I was standing well out of the curb of the street and there were literally no cars in sight both in front or behind so he had no reason to behave like that. After a bit of walking further, I found a little spot under a tree and decided to have my lunch there: a sandwich with salami, bell pepper, apple, and banana. The area around me as I walked was that typical of the southern part of the Gargano, quite arid with not many trees and mostly low bushed and with the typical yellow cover of the dry land. The days had gotten warmer and warmer and I was now experiencing the full heat of the summer despite being so high in altitude. Following again the main road for a while I then reached a part where I was finally able to leave the asphalt and join the trail once again. The way was nice and uphill through a mostly barren mountainous landscape. At one point I could see the city of Manfredonia and the Adriatic sea coast in the distance. The light haze, formed from the excessive heat, which covered the sky and made everything look greyer did not help in admiring the view but at least I still managed to see something. After reaching the highest point, 870m, I then met a group of about 15 older people (mostly ladies) who were being guided by a local guide along the trail and heading to San Giovanni Rotondo. They were all from Verona and were curious about my hike. We talked a bit and then they wanted a group photo with me. I said goodbye and finally reached my destination for the day, Monte Sant'Angelo. As I entered town I passed by the castle, built during the 9th century and later expanded during the Norman, Staufer, and later Aragonese. I then visited the town's main attraction, the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel. Around the year 490, the Archangel Michael appeared to Lorenzo Maiorano Bishop of nearby Sipontum near a cave in the Gargano mountain massif, and instructed him to dedicate the cave to Christian worship. Following two more appearances, a first sanctuary was thus constructed in 493. When the Longobards took possession of the land through the Duchy of Benevento they identified the Arcangel Michael as the patron saint of their people and thus gave importance to the sanctuary. It became thus the first epicenter of the cult of St. Michael and spreading thus over to the rest of the Langobard reign, thus essentially being recognized as the main center of worship of the archangel of the entire West, and model for all other churches and sanctuaries built from the on. Because of this, the Sanctuary was inscribed in 2011 in the Unesco world heritage list together with other Langobard sites throughout Italy. As I reached the complex the first sight that came into view was the nice octagonal bell tower built in the 13th century by Charles I of Anjou as thanks for conquering south of Italy. Then I entered the church proper with a nice gothic structure and two fine portals the right one serving as the main entrance to the sanctuary. As I passed through the portal, a long staircase from the Angevin period carved directly into the rock descends down to the actual sanctuary cave. Along the staircase, I admired nice frescoes with figures of saints, merchants, and knights decorating the walls with most of them accompanied by hundreds of phrases written in ancient languages, remote messages, and quotations such as greetings, invocations, and prayers from the early Christian period until more recent times. I curiously noticed that many letters and words were often accompanied by incomprehensible engravings depicting hands. At the end of the staircase, I then reached a larger room that led to the museum on one side and to the sanctuary cave proper on the other. The entrance was crowned by a nice romanesque portal featuring bronze doors from the 11th century coming from Constantinople. As I entered the cave I admired the nice shrine where a statue of the Arcangel from the 16th century was set. The place was really nice and spiritual and there were people gathered there for mass. After attending part of the mass and sitting in contemplation I decided to head out and explore the rest of the town. As I exited the church I walked around the really nice old town which I did not expect to be so picturesque. In fact, so far the towns I had passed through since Lucera, were not as pretty and had a different feel. This one here was more of how I imagined Puglia to be like, particularly the towns along the sea towards the south which I would in fact visit as I continued my journey. I walked around this part of town known as the Rione Junno, with its typical narrow alleys and white terraced houses with sloping roofs. Not far from the sanctuary I then visited the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Tomba which required an entry fee of 1 euro. In front of it used to stand the church of St Peter which was demolished at the end of the 19th century and now just the apse is remaining. Next to it is the entrance to the baptistery which features a nice romanesque portal. The building dates to the 12th century and despite its small size features a beautiful interior with columns having decorated capitals and with a high and airy cupola decorated with many small openings with romanesque columns. Inside there was also a group of southern germans or Austrians doing some kind of weird spiritual exercises. I didn't bother them much and admired the building for a bit. After exiting, right next to the apse of the demolished church of St Peter, on the other side, was also the church of Santa Maria Maggiore which is Romanesque in style and dates to the 12th century as well. Unfortaynettl it was closed so I continued on through the narrow alleyways of the old town and passed then by the church of the Santissima Trinità also closed and featuring a nice baroque facade. Then a little further the church of Saint Francis was open and featured a 14th-century gothic structure but with a refurbished neoclassical interior. Finally, I passed by the last main church in town, San Benedetto which was closed, but still worth seeing from the exterior with a nice gothic facade and a detached 18th-century baroque bell tower. Just a few more steps from there I then reached the place of the accommodation I was going to stay at that night and tried calling the owner but apparently I had no signal. I tried again several times but without success, but then I managed to get a signal by walking a bit onwards but then found no answer when calling. I tried the other number I had listed and a lady answered asking me to come to the pharmacy, Farmacia Simone in the newer part of town. I walked over there and after meeting the lady she tried calling the owner Nicola but without success either. She then told me she would try again and in case he would contact me on my phone. She suggested I do something else in the meantime and try to come back at 8pm at the latest. I found a spot in the nearby park to sit and waited for about half-hour when I got a call from Nicola saying that as he was on vacation but that his dad would still meet me at the pharmacy between 7:30 and 8 and bring me then to the house. That meant a wait of about two hours and eventually, at around 7:40 the dad of the owner came and brought me to the accommodation. It was small but nice and very cold as it was in the form of a cellar on the ground floor of one of the buildings of the old town. After a nice warm shower, I then went to dinner at the bar suggested by the owner Nicola; here I got a pilgrim's menu for 15 euros with orecchiette with tomato sauce and caciocavallo, then bread meatballs with more tomato sauce, bread, a dessert which was like a soft pan di Spagna with whip cream and strawberry sauce and wine and water. I thanked the kind owners for the nice and cheap meal and then finally headed back to sleep after one last stroll through town at night. That day I totaled 36km.
The morning after I woke up early and decided to visit the sanctuary of St Michael once again as soon as it opened. I was there at 7:30am and was glad to see it was completely empty and I was able to visit and enjoy it fully even managing to take pictures which are usually forbidden as a kindness to pilgrims who visit the sanctuary and just wish some private and peaceful moments in prayer. After the visit, I walked through town and reached the start of the trail which went down the mountain towards Manfredonia. From up here, despite the haze which was still present since the day before because of the heat, I could see the city down below and the sea coast. Right at the beginning of the trail, I met a guy from San Candido who had just come up and was gonna visit the town and then go back down. I asked him if he had seen any dogs on the way, to which he answered he didn't but that he had heard some barking in the distance. I thanked him and continued down along the natural staircase built in the rock which had been used since ancient times to connect the town of Monte Sant'Angelo with the plain below. After a while, following the nice historical trail, I came across some sheep and luckily saw there were no dogs around. I continued like so for a while until I reached the end of the trail where some houses were located. I continued then along a minor street through nice olive groves and the first almond trees along my hike, until I reached the city of Manfredonia. Before reaching it, turning around I could see the nice form of the Gargano mountain towering above. In the city I then passed by the nice fortress, originally built in the 13th century during the Angevin period and later expanded during the Aragonese rule in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is located right by the sea, which I reached shortly after and walking also next to the beach which was already full of people. From there I walked through the city center passing by the town hall which is located in what was once the church of San Domenico and its monastery, still featuring a nice gothic facade. Close by I visited the cathedral, originally a Gothic church from the 13th century which was destroyed by Ottomans in 1620 when they sacked the city. It was then rebuilt during the 17th century in a Baroque style with a really nice detached belltower. As soon as I exited the cathedral, the custodian closed the doors behind me and I was surprised to see it closed so early, as it was just 11:15. After the visit to the city center, I headed on and stopped at a supermarket to grab lunch for later. Then exiting Mandredonia, I reached the Basilica of Siponto which was unfortunately closed as it was Monday so I just admired it from the outside. Siponto was once a flourishing town during ancient times, first of the Dauni population and later Roman. It then grew during the middle ages but a series of earthquakes, the strongest of which hit it in 1223 and 1255, led Manfredi I King of Sicily to found the town of Manfredonia a couple of kilometers north along the coast abandoning thus Siponto hereinafter. Nowadays the place is a well-known archaeological area as it holds the foundations of an early Christian basilica from the 5th and 6th centuries and the beautiful romanesque 12th-century Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore next to it. Nearby I also passed by the Ipogei Capparelli, the largest early Christian necropolis, or hypogeum, of the Daunia region, which was also closed. I still managed to admire it from outside the fence but then decided to continue on. I then walked along a minor road in order to skip the main road and passed by a buffalo farm where I decided to stop to get some fresh mozzarella; it was one of the tastiest I ever had! Then a little further on I had to walk for a short part along the dreadful main road which I had been told, both by other pilgrims and the official guide, to try to skip and take a bus directly from Manfredonia. However, I did not want to "cheat" and skip a part of the walk by using another system of transport and wished to only rely on my legs and feet and so decided to brave that part as well. There was no space at all on the side and there were many cars speeding by so I had to stop often and jump on the tall grass to the side to avoid getting hit. Finally, I managed to exit and follow a side road that soon brought me to the beach. Here I stopped for lunch and had tomatoes, mozzarella both the one I bought at the supermarket and the bufala one, olives, apricots, and cherries. After enjoying the time on a windy yet deserted beach, I then got up and started my walk along the beach. I stayed right by the water as it was much easier and the sand hard enough for me to walk properly. I reached the end of the beach and had to walk back to the main road as there was a canal in between and it was the only way to cross it. I walked again in the dangerous part but then finally got out once again and along a minor road until I reached my destination Ippocampo. The village was a group of tourist housing, shops, restaurants, etc. but it looked rather shabby, abandoned, and dirty, maybe because the season had not started yet despite being well into June. Here I wanted to check in the accommodation, the b&b Stella Marina, but there was no one so I went to the beach instead. After waiting for a bit, the owner then wrote me I could go, as she had been sleeping until now, and I was finally able to check-in. After that, I immediately went back to the beach, had a swim, and relaxed a little on the sand again. Then I went to the only open mini-market and grabbed some food for dinner. I came back to the accommodation, showered, and ate: I had chickpeas, tuna, bell pepper, crackers, peaches, and figs. I dropped the can of chickpeas and made a mess and had to clean it all up, plus the AC was not working and it was still so hot ( it had been around 38 degrees during the day). I found out the batteries of the remote were dead so I went to the bar where the owners, an older couple and parents of the owner of the b&b, changed the batteries for me. That day I totaled 35km.
In the morning I woke up and had breakfast at the bar below, five packed croissants and a peach juice. Then I left the beach village and followed the trail heading south. I had to go back to the main road and despite it being still 8am, it was already quite trafficked and with no space to the side. As soon as I could I then turned towards the beach and out of the main road. I also saw some flamingos and other birds close by on the lagoon as I walked onwards. From there on instead of following the trail along the trafficked road I walked all the way to the destination along the beach, meaning that it would take me longer, as walking on the sand made it harder and slower, but that I would be safe from rushing cars. Soon after though, I found a dead sea turtle drifted ashore. I called the coast guard and signaled it and continued on sad about that encounter. Apparently, there were many cases these days of dead sea turtles along this coast, and I would find two more the following day. Shortly after I reached the small town of Zapponeta where I took some fruit and veggies to eat later and refilled my water. From the town, I then headed back to the waterfront, and as I walked already ate the apricots and cherries I had just bought. I continued like this for a while seeing as the beaches and especially water improved as I went both in color and clarity. The way was easy right on the shore and a little harder due to the softer sand between beaches; they were in fact mostly tiny bays with rocks dividing them. I stopped a few times to dip my legs in the already warm water, and once to swim and take a break. Then I found a nice spot to enjoy my lunch where I had the tuna and chickpeas and crackers from the previous day plus tomatoes, cucumber I had bought in Zapponeta. At one point the small beaches gave way to a rocky part where the houses reached right on the waterfront, that was quite hard and I had to walk up and down rocks and sometimes go through the water to my knees. Eventually, after alternating small beaches and rocky areas I finally came in sight of the city of Margherita di Savoia. Before reaching it though I headed back towards the trafficked main road which was finally sided by a bicycle path that hopefully in the future will eventually connect the city all the way to Manfredonia, so as to allow walkers and cyclists alike to cross the area safe from the speeding cars. Right next to the road and cycle path I then admired the immense expanse of the salts pans of Margherita di Savoia, with its 20 km length and 5 km width, they are the largest in Europe and the second in the world. They had some beautiful colors, ranging through different browns, yellows, and even pink and red. As I then walked through Margherita di Savoia, named so in 1879 in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy, as it was once just known as Saline di Barletta, I passed by its modern city center, mostly consisting of tall ugly buildings from the 50s, 60s, and 70s when the town also grew because of the tourism its beaches brought. A short while after I reached the parish and was shown to my room upstairs by the friendly and young priest, Don Nico. It looked very nice with modern furniture and beds and a nice bathroom. Eventually, for dinner, Don Nico, with another priest from Peru don Manuel and a girl of the parish group drove me to the beach resort Paradiso Dei Giovani just west of the city center, which I had walked by earlier before reaching the city. Here the owner, who was also part of the parish group, had set up a table for dinner for all the parishioners: we were a total of 18 with mostly older women. We started to eat late, well after 9pm, but it seemed like they continued bringing dishes over dishes with no stop to the food. We had a vegetable cuoppo, a typical fried mix of veggies, then bruschettas, and then a roll made with eggplant which I ate and liked. After that, they announced the first course would come, and I was shocked and surprised as I thought we already had received all the food, but apparently, those were only the appetizers. I wasn't the only one surprised and they then brought paccheri with seafood, then fritto misto, and finally a dessert: fruit and apricot ice cream inside an apricot. This all with spritz and then wine and water. There was even karaoke and many went up the stage to sing. We ended up eating till nearly 1am and I as well as the priest were super tired. Finally, with the excuse that I had to get up early and walk a lot, we managed to have the dinner end and headed back to the city and to the church to try to get some sleep. That day I walked 29km.
After getting up still super tired from the little sleep I left Margherita di Savoia and followed the trail through the countryside. I was supposed to rejoin the official trail of the Via Francigena by walking south and west towards Canosa di Puglia but I had seen that those days the temperatures would reach a peak of over 40 degrees and without wind nor the vicinity to the sea it would have made the walk extremely arduous and maybe even dangerous. So I had called the priest in Canosa the previous day and let him know that unfortunately, my plans had changed due to the extreme heat and that instead I was following the coast variant of the Francigena and heading to Trani instead where I eventually managed to find a priest willing to host me in such short notice. So after leaving the city, I then had to walk for a short part on the trafficked main road again in order to cross the Ofanto river but luckily there had enough space on the side. Then the trail left the road and reached the seaside and here I walked along the road parallel to the sea while I saw people arriving and going to the beach even earlier than 9am. Soon after I reached the city of Barletta and after walking along the nice seaside reached the old town. I first reached the Basilica of the Santo Sepolcro with the Colossus of Barletta right in front. The latter is a large bronze statue of a Roman Emperor, nearly three times life-size, about 5,11 meters high. It most probably represents the emperor Theodosius II and was commissioned by his cousin Valentinian III during the 5th century. The statue's arrival in Barletta is shrouded in mystery with some theories stating it supposedly washed up on a shore after a Venetian ship sank returning from the Sack of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade in 1204, but it is not impossible that the statue was sent to the West much earlier. After admiring the impressive figure I then entered the Basilica, which featured a nice Gothic structure, with a plain yet airy and geometric interior and some traces of medieval frescoes still remaining. From the church, I then followed the main street through town, Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi, and reached the Cathedral, a beautiful example of a mix between Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The front in fact is in the former style and dates to the 12th century while the back is in the latter style dating the 13th and 14th centuries. A wedding was being prepared inside but it was in its early stage so I was able to visit the monument undisturbed. The interior featured a nice three naved plan with exquisite columns decorated with capitals depicting figures of animals and monsters. There were also a nice ciborium from the 12th century and a pulpit from the 13th century. As I exited the church I then passed under the beautiful Romanesque bell tower, built at the end of the 12th century right on the northern face of the Cathedral and featuring a low arch at its bottom to allow passage below it. Right behind the cathedral, which I turned around to admire its gothic apse, I then passed by the castle. Now in the form of a Renaissance star-shaped fortress, it was originally a norman defensive structure from the 11th century and later expanded and refurbished until it took its current form under Charles V during the 16th century. Not far from there I then passed by the Porta Marina, the only surviving city gate, named so because it faced and still faces the sea, right next to it beyond the now modern port. As I headed back into the city center I then passed by the Palazzo Della Marra, probably the nicest in the city, built in a Renaissance style with beautiful porticoes and an elegant central courtyard, and currently hosting the De Nittis city art museum. Right next to the palace I also managed to visit the interior of the church of Santa Maria Della Vittoria, typically neoclassical. I then headed to a supermarket I found along the way in the city and got some stuff to eat later. Then I left town and followed the trail next to the beach. The trail then soon headed back towards the interior countryside but I decided to keep along the coast instead. It was really nice and I walked along a soft sand beach without anyone in sight. At one point I stopped and decided to take a nice swim and since there was no one around I also did it naked. I decided to also stop for lunch there and ate the things I had brought with me: mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, and banana. Then I continued on along the shore and after a while had to finally leave the sea as it was just an industrial zone with rocks and hardly a way to pass. I walked through the industrial zone, composed mostly of companies making marble, as Trani is known for it, and then finally reached the city center. Trani was a known and important city, particularly during the early middle ages, as its port was well placed for the Crusades, becoming later also the most important on the Adriatic Sea. In fact, the town was so known and advanced that in the year 1063, the city government issued the Ordinamenta et consuetudo maris, thought to be the first maritime code of the Western world. Before going to the accommodation I decided to visit the Cathedral as it was just reopening after the lunch break. One of the most significant examples of Apulian Romanesque architecture, it has been repeatedly referred to as the Queen of the Cathedrals of Puglia. Construction started during the 11th century and was completed during the 12th century. The beautiful bell tower located on the southern side, and featuring the typical arch below it like the cathedral in Barletta, was instead completed only in the 14th century. As I headed inside, I noticed the structure is divided into two parts, the lower one, which now functions as the main entrance, holds two separate spaces, the Crypt of St. Mary, which consists of a long narrow room with simply decorated columns, and the Crypt of St. Nicholas, housing the saint's relics and featuring a large rectangular room with what seemed like a forest of beautifully decorated columns. A staircase then led upstairs to the upper and main part consisting of a central nave with side aisles separated by double columns that support two side matronaei. Its simplicity, beauty, and peacefulness, which usually only Romanesque and Gothic churches can give me, made me enjoy some moments sitting on one of the benches and admiring and taking it all in. As I then walked around, I admired the traces of mosaics, which once would have completely covered the whole pavement but now can only be found in parts of the presbytery. Also inside was the original bronze door from 1175 by Barisano da Trani that once stood outside in the central entrance; the one outside in a modern copy. After visiting the Cathedral, I then passed the nearby fortress, built around 1233 under the reign of Frederick II right on the sea giving it an extremely picturesque aspect. I then walked through the old town and reached the church of Santa Chiara. Here I met the nice priest who showed me to the parish and to my room which even had wifi.After a shower and a bit of relaxing, I then met with another pilgrim, Angelo, who lives in Trani and who showed me around the beautiful historic center. He explained many things about the Jewish past and showed me nice details in the stones, facades, and buildings. We passed by the Sinagoga Scolanova, originally a synagogue turned into a church after the expulsion of the Jews from the city during the 16th century, which was turned back into its original function as a synagogue in 2005. Then not far ahead the Great Synagogue, built during the 13th century, and like the previous building turned into a church, as the church of St Anna, until recently when it was transformed into the city's Jewish museum. Further on we passed by the church of Santa Teresa, featuring a nice baroque architecture, and then the church of Ognissanti, built during the 12th century in a Romanesque style, which was unfortunately closed but still looked nice from the exterior. In the area used to be also the church of San Marco, now gone though, in honor of the patron saint of Venice, as Trani used to hold a large colony of Venetians in the city even having the seat of a consulate of the Serenissima until the sixteenth century. We even saw an example of a Lion of St Mark's right in front of the church of Sant'Agostino, which was erected in 1503 under Juliano Gradenigo, third governor of Trani, on behalf of the Republic of Venice to which the city had been given as a pledge by the King of Naples to pay off war debts. After the nice tour, I thanked Angelo who then said goodbye and good luck to me on my journey ahead and suggested I head for dinner to a place called Il Grottino where they made a huge panzerotto for just 3 euros. After dinner, it was time to finally go to sleep. That day I totaled 39km.
The earliest I ever woke I then left Trani at 5:45 and passed through the countryside made up of mostly olive trees and the occasional vineyards reached Andria in less than 3 hours. My plan was in fact to head there to finally rejoin the official Francigena way and also get there early to avoid the pressing heat which would reach over 40 degrees that day. In fact, even before 9am, it was well above 30 and only the shade of the trees from the sill low sun helped. I arrived early so still had some time before catching the bus which I had hoped to get to visit the Castel del Monte. I stopped at a supermarket and grabbed some food for later. Then I waited for the bus and met a small group of 2 moms and their children who were also catching the bus there. We talked for the rest of the day about my hike and their trip first and then other things in general. On the way there, inside the bus, we also met a guide who said we could join her tour once in Castel del Monte for 5 euros each. After reaching the place we gathered around and waited for more visitors who came then by car and once the castle opened we headed inside. Castel del Monte is a 13th-century castle situated on a hill at 540m above sea level on the Murge Plateau about 17km south of Andria. When the day is clear, Andria and the Adriatic Sea are clearly visible from it, but due to the extreme heat when we were there a thick haze covered the surroundings so we could barely see a couple of kilometers away. Built in the 1240s by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, it has neither a moat nor a drawbridge and some considered it never to have been intended as a defensive fortress but rather just as a hunting lodge. However, archaeological work has suggested that it originally had a curtain wall and thus its actual purpose and use still remains shrouded in mystery. It is considered as one of the most fascinating castles in Italy and was inscribed in the Unesco world heritage list in 1996, and even appears on the Italian 1 euro cent coin. What is interesting about it though is that its geometric design is rather unique as it is in the shape of an octagonal prism with an octagonal tower at each corner. It originally had marble walls and columns but in the 18th century, the castle's interior marbles and remaining furnishings were stripped and removed and used in other constructions, for example in the Royal Palace of Caserta. Once inside the guide gave an explanation of the place, the esoteric symbols, and its description and history in general. We didn't have much time though as every hour one group would need to leave for the next slot. Nevertheless, the place was really nice and well worth the trip here. However, to head back we had to wait until 2:30pm as that was the only next bus heading to Andria. The tour had ended at 11am due to the time slot function and so we couldn't stay inside the castle but had to wait outside. As there was nothing around we really didn't have much choice if not to wait for the bus to come at that time. I stopped to talk to the very friendly guy cleaning the bathrooms who was also very worried for the stray dogs there and filled a bucket to give them water. Then I headed back to the castle entrance and waited there below the walls with the group from Faenza that had come on the bus from the beginning. I had then my lunch as well: farro salad, carrots, peaches, and apricots. Then finally at the appointed time, we managed to take the bus back to Andria. On it, I also met a friendly polish couple living in Germany who were going to Bari. The lady spoke Italian quite well as she had already and was still studying it, and they were surprised by me speaking polish. So for the rest of the journey, she spoke Italian and I in polish. After reaching Andria I said bye to the Faenza group and the polish couple and then headed to my accommodation, the b&b Mille e Una Puglia. After taking a nap I then decided to visit the city. I visited the church of St Francis, with a partly gothic facade still remaining and a nice baroque interior from the 18th century with a beautiful organ from 1766. Not far on I then visited the small shop of the Mucci Confetti, a historical confectionery factory created in 1894 by Nicola Mucci and which now features a museum and a shop where the famous sugar almonds from the city can be bought. Right in front of the shop I then visited the Cathedral, the city's main monument, with a beautiful bell tower with the bottom part dating to the Langobard period in the 8th century and the rest to the Norman period during the 11th century. The facade is a 19th and 20th-century reconstruction of the old romanesque one. The interior was rather modern and reconstructed after it was badly damaged during a fire in 1916, while below the pavement it features a crypt which corresponds to the earlier church from the 7th and 8th centuries which the current one was built on top of. As I continued on through the town I reached the church of Sant'Agostino, dating to the 13th century and built by the Knights Templar, which featured a nice Gothic portal from the 14th century and the interior rebuilt in the baroque style. After that church, I continued on and passed two more religious buildings both of which were closed, the church of San Domenico with a nice baroque bell tower, and the church of San Nicola. Not far from the latter I then passed through the nice Porta Sant'Andrea, once a norman city gate and refurnished during the 19th century. Continuing on I then reached the Santuario Della Madonna dell'Altomare which was just opening. It was interesting as from the outside the church looked tiny but inside it continued down some stairs and opened up into a large room where there were still some traces of old medieval frescoes. Then to the church of Santa Maria Venter which featured a simple baroque interior. Finally, back through the city center, I visited the Vicolo San Bartolomeo which is just 42cm wide and is considered as the narrowest street in the world, though many dispute that record so who knows for sure. For dinner, I then went to a place called Big Bang where I had a tasty double Texan burger with a beer. During the night right before falling asleep another blackout, the 5th one since I was there back in the accommodation, occurred. Unfortunately, that meant that even the AC would be off. I didn't bother much thinking it wouldn't last long and so fell asleep. However around 2am I woke up dying of heat and still the power was off, I had to shower and go back to sleep wet as even during the night the heat was unbearable. The power eventually came back on at around 5am though I did not have much left to sleep. That day I totaled 23km.
In the morning after the dreadful night, I woke up had breakfast partly at the accommodation and partly on the go. After leaving Andria I walked along a typical country road through the olive farms. It was rather dirty and full of trash particularly at the beginning but then it got a little better and I also passed my first Trullo, a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof. After my first one I would encounter a lot more on the way, particularly towards the south, and in the area south of Bari where they are large enough and elegant to be used as houses. As I walked on, I even managed to get some apricots from some trees along the way which I ate gladly. After a few kilometers like this, I reached the city of Corato. I first passed by the small church of San Vito which was closed and then the Santuario della Madonna Greca with a simple interior. Then through the old town, I passed by the Arco Abazia, a medieval archway located in a picturesque square, and then past the Palazzo de Mattis with featured interesting red spikes on the facade. Not far from there I then visited the Chiesa matrice, the town's main church, with a nice romanesque bell tower from the church's origin and the interior dating to a refurbishment that took place during the 19th century. Then more through town I passed by the Torre Gisottiand, a surviving medieval town now embedded in some houses, and then outside the old town, I visited also the churches of San Domenico and that of Maria Santissima Incoronata. Nearby I then stopped at a bakery and took a tasty piece of focaccia and some multigrain taralli. After leaving the city, the way was rather straight and monotonous and continued more along olive farms, but now the clouds which were covering the sky with the still persistent haze, helped a little with the heat. A few kilometers like this and I eventually reached the city of Ruvo di Puglia where I would be spending the night. I headed to my accommodation which was inside the building of the Figlie Maria Ausiliatrice Sacro Cuore, one of the religious orders of nuns. As I reached the place a kind nun showed me to my room where I then rested a little and later showered. Then I went out to get some food and got myself tomatoes, mozzarella, and a banana which I later ate on a bench in the Villa Comunale, the city park. Here a cute dog was going around and he looked quite hot so I filled the container of tomatoes with water from which he happily drank. After that, I decided to visit the city a little. I started out with the Cathedral, a beautiful example of Apulian Romanesque dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. It features a most impressive steep sloping facade with a large central rose window from the 16th century and three decorated portals: the central and larger one, flanked by two columns standing on lions and surmounted by griffins, and the smaller ones on the side with a simpler shape. The interior is rather simple yet elegant and full of light. It features columns with capitals decorated with figures, animals, and other mythological creatures and monsters. The complex is completed by a slightly detached bell tower dating to the 11th century as it was built before the cathedral and served first as a lookout and defensive tower. Not far from there I passed by the church of the Purgatorio which was supposed to hold the Grotta di San Cleto, an ancient roman cistern turned into a hypogeum and altar dedicated to Saint Cletus, but it was unfortunately closed. Continuing on, I walked through the nice and small square, Piazzetta le Monache, where the church of the Santi Medici was located, but also closed. Nearby I walked further through the narrow streets and passed by the nice renaissance Palazzo Spada. I then visited the large church of San Domenico, located just outside what were once the city walls; the style was most definitely baroque from a reconstruction that took place in the 18th century. Right in front of it was another major monument of the city, the large Palazzo Jatta, a 19th-century city residence that now holds a national archaeological museum but which was temporarily closed for refurbishment. On the way back through town, I also passed the nice clock tower in the small square, Piazza Menotti Garibaldi, and then saw a familiar dog on a balcony: it was the one I had given water to previously who was now just enjoying his time observing the passerby. From there I continued on and then reached the large Largo Tedone a central square, sided by the small 16th-century church of San Rocco to the east and the modern but baroque-looking church of the Santissimo Redentore to the north. Finally, it was time for dinner and I chose to eat at a place called InVito Caffe e Osteria, where the owner Vito made me bruschette with tomatoes, orecchiette pasta with fresh tomato, basil, oil, and grated cheese, and some wine and water. Here I also talked with three nice people sitting across from me about my hike and Puglia in general and then also with a couple who came later to a table beside me and then also joined in the conversation. I didn't realize while talking that the time just flew by and I had to leave, so I paid and then kind of rushed through the old town taking a pic of the cathedral by night before reaching the accommodation just in time as in fact I had told the nuns would be back by 10 due to the fact they usually go to sleep quite early. That day I totaled 29km.
The next day I woke up early as the nuns were up before 7 and would then go to pray and I apparently I could not get out of the building without one of them opening the door for me. So after leaving I then grabbed a croissant from a bar and headed northwards out of the city. I passed a nice long way sided by cypresses where a lot of people were running up and down, training in the early hours to avoid the pressing heat that would come later in the day. After that, I walked through some olive groves until I reached Terlizzi shortly after. Here I passed by the church of the Madonna del Rosario which featured a beautiful side portal by Anseramo da Trani from the 13th century that once belonged to ancient Duomo which was destroyed in 1782. Next to it was the baroque church of the Immacolata with a nice bell tower. I then entered the old town and reached the Cathedral, built in a neoclassical style between the 18th and 19th century over a pre-existing romanesque one. Right nearby I then passed by the beautiful medieval clock tower, known as the Torre Maggiore, which was once part of the larger complex of the Norman castle. Dating to the 11th century and 31m high this tower is the only surviving part of that castle and now picturesquely crowns the square, Piazza Cavour. In front of it on the other side of the square is the church of San Gioacchino with an interesting bell tower which reminded me a lot of those I had seen in Mexico. A little further I then visited the church of Santa Maria la Nova, with a nice baroque interior and rich altars. Right across the street from it I decided to stop at a bar and get a croissant with honey as a second breakfast. As I left the city, I then followed a bike path, really well made and unexpected in this part of Italy, next to some nice houses, and reached the small hamlet of Sovereto. The hamlet consisted of a group of houses around a large villa, Villa Lamparelli, and an important sanctuary, the Santuario della Madonna di Sovereto. Built during the 12th century above the Sovero hypogeum where the sacred Byzantine icon of the Odegitria, depicting the Virgin with Child, better known as Madonna of Sovereto was found by a shepherd. Of the original complex, only the apse and traces of Byzantine frescoes remain. Inside the church, there was a rosary going on so I joined and relaxed for quite a bit. After the rosary the attending priest saw me and we talked and he told me about the sanctuary; he was from Parma. He even opened the staircase leading down under the church where the cave where the icon of the Madonna from the 10th century was found. After visiting the site I thanked him and headed on, leaving the hamlet and walking for well over two hours through a nice country road surrounded by olive trees and the sound of cicadas. It was rather hot but once in a while, the breeze helped and made the walk much pleasant than the other days; in fact, the sky was finally blue and not white/gray as in the other days. Along the way, I stopped at an abandoned large masseria from the 18th century, Villa Ilderis, where I found a mulberry tree with super tasty berries and probably the last tree with cherries on top as it was now getting too late in the season. I gathered a lot to then take with me and then continued on my hike. I then finally reached Bitonto and passed through the old town before reaching the b&b. Here the kind lady owner showed me to my room and gave me a piece of cake with coconut she had made. I then went out once again as I hadn't had lunch and walked quite a bit to get to the Lidl supermarket and get some food; I bought both lunch and dinner for later. I then found a bench on the way back and sat there to eat the farro and orzo salad with bell pepper, smoothie, banana, apricots, peaches, and some cracker sticks with rosemary and potato. Then I headed back to the b&b and rested for a while. After showering I decided to head back into the old town to visit it. From the b&b you could already see a large natural-like amphitheater known as Lama Balice with the large building of the Istituto Femminile Maria Cristina di Savoia and the cupola and bell tower of church St Francis in the background. That was my next destination, but as I reach the large Gothic church, I found it closed, as I found later it now holds the museum of the dioceses, and so continued on. I passed the Vulpano Sylos Palace, a nice renaissance city residence, and the church of San Luca which was also closed. Then through narrow streets, I passed by some more minor churches, all of which were closed, that of Santa Rita da Cascia, San Leucio Vecchio, San Giovanni, and San Silvestro. I then reached the large church of San Domenico, which was open so I proceeded to visit it and inside a friendly man named Antonio gave me a super long explanation of the procession that takes place during the holy Friday. He used to be president for a few years and helped make a kind of museum of the statues and figures carried during the procession. They are now kept in the beautiful chapel to the side, the Cappella dei Misteri, which features a fantastic baroque stucco. He explained all the statues and showed me pictures of past processions. He talked about his pride in participating in it and that he wishes to pass it on to the generations just as his dad and grandad did, who used to be carriers like him. He then gave me a bunch load of images of the Madonna and saints of the church and then took me with him through the old town. He stopped some random older people telling me how they used to be carriers too, they were happy to be mentioned and joked and laughed together and spoke with me a little. We talked with one in particular who also showed me pictures and was responsible for making all his VHS archives of the procession available online. Antonio then brought me to the Cathedral and when we got there found out it was closing, but he managed to convince Maurizio the responsible to let me in quickly. I didn't have much time so I hastily visited the beautiful interior but thought to try again the following morning before leaving. Then I thanked the kind Antonio and wished him all the best as he did with me. I passed then by the nearby church of San Gaetano with an impressive baroque facade, unfortunately, closed, the Torrione Angioino, a 14th-century medieval tower and one of the 28 that once dotted the city walls, and the Porta Baresana, a 17th-century city gate and the most beautiful in the city. Then I finally headed back to my b&b to have dinner and watch the soccer game of Italy vs Austria. I had the couscous, fennel, cracker sticks, apricots, peaches, and cherries I had picked along the way.
The morning after I woke up early had breakfast and then decided to see if the Cathedral was already open. It was and I was now able to visit it well without haste. Featuring a beautiful example of Apulian Romanesque the cathedral was built between the 12th and 13th centuries and is one of the most beautiful of this style. Its rich facade presents a large rose window flanked by sculptures of animals supported by small columns, four mullioned windows, and three portals, the central one of which is sculpted with plant motifs and scenes from the Old Testament. The interior, plain and elegant is composed of a central nave with side aisles and features some particularly noteworthy elements such as the baptismal font, and the ambo, a masterpiece of medieval Apulian stone carving from 1229. After the visit to the monument, It was time to head on, and as I left town heading through the suburbs I came across an interesting church which from the outside looked like a large trullo with a bell tower, the church of the Santissimo Crocifisso. It had an impressive frescoed baroque interior but a mass was just starting so I just had a quick look and then continued on. Following the trail, just outside the city, as I was encountering the first olive trees, I passed by what was once a church, that of Santa Maria di Constantinopoli, a 16th-century monument that was abandoned and with pigeons inside. From then on I walked through vast expanses of olive trees, eventually reaching the industrial area of Bari. Here i took a deviation to get to Decathlon as I needed to buy a new t-shirt after losing my gray one a few days back along the coast. After the purchase, I then headed towards the city center passing through the worst part of the city, with under and overpasses, highways, and trafficked roads, etc. As I approached the city center I then saw a small kitten trying to cross a very trafficked road, and both I and a man after seeing it tried to stop it. The kitten though was hissing and growling back and we didn't know what to do as to try picking it up might mean getting scratched and who knew what disease he might have. I tried giving it water but it just wanted to get up the tall wall from where he probably fell. More people passed by but no one else would stop to help and would just comment oh look a cute kitten, let's hope he doesn't get trampled and continued on. I did all I could to try pushing it to the side and managed to make him go behind a pillar in a shaded area where hopefully his mother would hear and see him to save him. After regretfully having to head on, I reached the city center and then passed by the large structure of the Castello Normanno-Svevo. Originally built during the 12th century during the Norman rule it was later expanded the following century by Frederick II Holy Roman Emperor. Unfortunately, the entrance to the fortress was closed as they were setting it up for the G20 event that would take place inside. As I continued on through the narrow lively streets of the old town I went past the Cathedral, which I would visit later, and past the church of San Marco dei Veneziani which was also closed and would be so for the rest of the day, after trying three times to visit it. This small Romanesque church dates probably to the 11th century and was used by the Venetian community that lived in the city since the early middle ages. Not too far ahead I then reached the bakery, Panificio Fiore that the older ladies of the parish in Margherita di Savoia had suggested I stop by when in Bari. Here i bought a large piece of focaccia, 1/3 of a whole round one, for 5€ and then looked for a spot on the nearby waterfront to eat it. The sea, even here so close to town, was beautiful and well worth the lunch with a view. While I was eating, Angelo, the guy responsible for the whole Via Francigena del Sud pilgrimage walk, called me to ask me if it was ok to meet in about an hour to which I positively replied. In the meantime I decided to explore the city a little, passing by the church of Santa Scolastica, a medieval building with an 18th-century facade, which was closed and the archaeological area next to it. Then I saw the ruins of the church of Santa Maria del Buon Consiglio, dating from the 9th and 10th centuries, which consist of just a few surviving columns from the main nave set in a large courtyard among the houses. After a short walk I then finally reached the city's main monument, the Basilica of San Nicola. Yet another example of Apulian Romanesque, it dates to the Norman period between the 11th and 12th centuries and features a simple facade, which probably doesn't equal that of others I had seen so far, though this is because it was one of the first ones to be built in such a style and used as a prototype for others built after. However, the simple structure and facade which recall that of a castle or fortress, hide a quite impressive interior. In fact, its main nave had three large vaults and a beautiful baroque painted wooden ceiling. The main altar featured an interesting ciborium, dating to 1150, considered as the oldest in the region. Next to it, in the presbytery is the Cathedra of Bishop Elias, a precious late 11th-century bishop's throne. Then below the ground level, I headed down to see the crypt of St Nicholas supported by 26 various columns embellished with Romanesque capitals and holding the tomb of the saint. Saint Nicholas of Myra was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor during the time of the Roman Empire. In 1087, while the Greek Christian inhabitants of the region were subjugated by the newly arrived Muslim Seljuk Turks, and soon after their church was declared to be in schism by the Catholic church, a group of merchants from Bari removed the major bones of Nicholas's skeleton from his sarcophagus in the church and brought them to their hometown.
This is why now the Basilica holds wide religious significance throughout Europe and the Christian world and is an important pilgrimage destination both for Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
In fact, down in the crypt all around were icons and decorations reminding more of an orthodox church. Pilgrimages to the basilica from Eastern Europe have increased dramatically since the fall of the Iron Curtain, not only for the feast days but throughout the year, and in fact, I also saw a few orthodox tourists as well there visiting. After the visit to the church, it was then time to head to my accommodation as check-in would open from 13:30. I passed through Piazza Mercantile with the elegant 15th century Palazzo del Sedile featuring a clock tower and the Colonna della Giustizia, a column that represented the city pillory, that is, the column where all those who were in debt, insolvent or bankrupt were chained and shown to the public. As I moved on I then passed through the planned square neighborhoods of the newer city, built and planned during the beginning of the 19th century by Gioacchino Murat, who during his rule at the head of the Kingdom of Naples had the city enlarged outside the old town and thus had the new neighborhood called in honor of his name, Borgo Murat.
I walked through the pretty streets of this more modern part which reminded me a lot of a mix between Padova and Salerno and was surprisingly very clean, something that in general Bari surprised me quite a bit for. After a bit more walking I reached Piazza Luigi di Savoia where the hostel, the Guesthouse Bari di Giosa, was located. The ladies at the desk were very friendly, one of them was from Bergamo, and gave me the keys to the room. They told me then that if I canceled through booking they would give me the sheets and towels included in the price of 19€, instead of having to pay them extra, so I did just that. After checking in the room I met with Angelo and his girlfriend Rosa who kindly brought me to a cafe offered me a drink, stamped my pilgrim passport, and gave me a pin. We talked long about walks in general and then brought me back to the accommodation and wished me all the best on the rest of my journey. After a really short nap, I decided to head back to the city and explore some more. I passed by the nice modern area once more with its elegant and orderly 19th and 20th centuries buildings and then reached the old town. I walked through the narrow streets and passed by the cathedral which was still closed. In the meantime, I visited the nearby church of San Giacomo which presented a nice baroque interior with volutes of white rococo stuccoes and a nice majolica pavement. I then walked further through town passing the large church of St Chiara which was closed and once again next to the fortress and along the Strada di Santa Lucia, known as the orecchiette street as many old women sit in front of their houses there making orecchiette pasta and then selling them to tourists. I passed then two more churches, Santa Teresa dei Maschi and that of the Santissimo Nome di Gesù both of which were closed. Finally, as I came back to the cathedral it was now open so I proceeded to visit it. Also built in the typical Apulian Romanesque the building dates from the 12th and 13th centuries and presents a simple salient facade with three portals below a rose window. The interior is simple yet airy and elegant and features three aisles with rows of sixteen columns with decorated capitals. Noteworthy are the nice baptismal font, the pulpit which was recomposed in 1955 using original fragments from the 11th and 12th centuries, and the ciborium also recomposed using original pieces from 1233. A staircase then led below the ground level to the large crypt mostly rebuilt in a baroque style during the 18th century and holding the relics of Saint Sabinus and a nice byzantine-like icon of the Madonna Odegitria from the 16th century. After the visit to the Cathedral, I then decided to head out of the old town, eastwards, and walk along the waterfront, later reaching the free sand beach at the edge of the city. Being it Sunday and afternoon the beach was overcrowded but as people were starting to leave I managed to find a spot right next to the water. I relaxed there for a bit and then walked back to the city to find a place for dinner. As I approached the city center once more I admired a beautiful sunset, with bright yellow/orange sun setting behind the bell towers and cityscape of the old town and giving the sky a similar yellowish tint which reminded me a lot of the towns along the Moroccan coast. For dinner, Angelo had suggested the fish market at the Fortino Sant'Antonio but it was closed, I guess as it was Sunday, so i opted for Pescobar where I got some mixed fried fish, frittura mista, to go. As I walked along the waterfront I enjoyed the beautiful view and the lively streets which, now after the sun was setting, started to cool down and fill up with mostly young people. Finally, I headed back to the accommodation to sleep. However, during the night, the other neighbors from the rooms continuously banged the door and made noise and so I was woken constantly between 11pm and 1am. That day I totaled 33km.
In the morning I took my revenge on my rowdy neighbors from the night before by banging doors at 6:30am, and after leaving looked for a bar to get a croissant. I then also stopped to get some fruit and then walked along the waterfront, onwards following the trail. Soon after, the seashore turned wilder with small coves and mostly rocky coast. As I walked, both because of the distance from the city and because of the sunlight, the water became clearer and nicer with some beautiful green and blue hues. I also took the chance to stop one time after about 2h walking to relax and have a swim, and then later on right before reaching the destination. I passed through the small town of Torre a Mare with its renaissance tower Torre Pelosa, used, like many others along the coast as a watchtower to defend from the incursions of pirates and marauders who infested the Adriatic Sea. As I continued on along the waterfront, it was here right after the town that the water was the most beautiful, with many small coves void of anyone else but me, which prompted me to take some nice relaxing naked swims. Eventually, I reached the town of Mola di Bari and decided to stop to grab some lunch at the supermarket to eat later. Then I reached the b&b al Castello, my accommodation for the night, where I rang and an old lady came to open. I said it's me, Thomas, the pilgrim, and she said why didn't you call, now there are no rooms available I just gave the last one away. I was quite surprised at her response and didn't know if she was joking or not, and the heat I had suffered during the walk did not make me the smarter or quicker in my thoughts, and so I simply told her I did book the room like a month before so I didn't get why she was telling me this. She then realized and started to apologize saying how mortified she was and how she hadn't noted it down and that she was sorry but she had no room for me. I was a bit surprised and shocked and couldn't believe she had just given away the room. I ask her then how to proceed now; she tried calling some other b&bs in the area and one initially asked for 45 euros but then went down to 35, and finally managed to bring it to the final offer of 30 euros. I was rather pissed but also dumbed down, tired, and didn't want to spend the whole rest of the day looking for another place so I just accepted and then went to the new b&b, Dona Flor. The lady there showed me to the room which was very nice, featuring a loft with stone pavement and the upper part with four beds. After eating my lunch in the b&b, mozzarella, tomatoes, bell pepper, bread, hummus, and olives, I then decided to go to the nearby beach and relax and swim there a bit. On the way there I passed through the large central square, Piazza XX Settembre, with the nice central fountain, and then reached the small old town with the Angevin Castle built during the 13th century and renewed during the 16th century and the main parish church a renaissance building with a nice portal sided by lions and a rose window. After that, I came back to my accommodation, showered, and then went out to look for a place to eat. The one I had noted down was fully booked so I opted for another one nearby. I really wanted fish so I chose one called Friggo & Mangi. The nice thing was that once you were ready to choose they would lead you to their fishery next door from where you would pick whatever fish you wished which they would later cook and then serve you. I chose scampi and asked for 4 grilled as an entree and 2 with the linguine with tomato sauce. I also ordered 1/4 wine. The food was really good but I ended up paying 28 euros total, so quite pricy. Nonetheless, it was good and then I finally headed back to sleep. That day I totaled 24km.
The next morning after an early wake up I followed the bicycle path which brought me from the town of Mola di Bari to the small seaside village of Cozze. From here on there were small coves, already with beautiful water in the early morning. People were starting to arrive, especially to the coves closer to town. Then the coves started to become wilder and without anyone around. I passed by a really nice one where a cave sat right above it, the Grotta del Guardiano probably used since prehistoric times. Next to it was an area called Costa dei Trulli, in fact, I could see some of those conical constructions from afar across the fields towards the interior, away from the coast. I had heard this area is beautiful in the spring as the fields are green and filled with colorful flowers and create a sharp contrast with the white of the trulli and the blue of the sea. Passing by some more beautiful spots I even took the chance to have a swim naked as I was completely alone. I was so mesmerized at the beautiful color of the sea, finally a paradise on earth and the best so far along my hike. Shortly after I reached the small hamlet of San Vito where the medieval watchtower, the Torre San Vito, used like others against pirate incursions, and the large Abbey built right by the water, are set. It looked really nice with the small harbor filled with tiny boats and the abbey in the background. The abbey was founded during the 10th century but its current form is due to a baroque restructuring that took place between the 17th and 18th centuries, with a magnificent loggia overlooking the harbor. The abbey is held in private hands and the church can only be visited during the Sunday mass so I was unable to enter and decided then to head on walking. I continued along the coast which then started to rise and give way to beautiful cliffs right on the sea. In fact not long after I reached Polignano a Mare, the town famous for being built over high cliffs and featuring characteristic white buildings. As I reached it I sadly noticed how full it was already. In fact, as I crossed the bridge passing over the Lama Monachile, a small beach formed by a fjord cutting through the cliffs, I immediately noticed the large crowd of mostly young locals enjoying the cliff diving experience next to the scenic beach. Among the many young locals enjoying the thrilling activity I also noticed a lot of tourists both Italian and foreign. Obviously, as I had been walking in areas without many people so far, this kind of place bothered and overwhelmed me and I decided to just walk around the town quickly and leave as soon as possible. I entered the old town by passing under the Arco Marchesale, a 16th-century city gate that granted access to the medieval city. I then walked through the pretty narrow streets, passing by the main monuments in town, the church of the Purgatorio, the main church of Santa Maria Assunta, which was under refurbishment, and the nice clock tower on the main square. I also found another panoramic point at the edge of the old town overlooking the Lama Monachile below with another vantage point to observe the cliff divers. After walking around town I then headed back out to the modern part of town and on the way stopped by a supermarket and took some food with me. After leaving Polignano, I followed the coast along the trail and then found a nice spot among the rocks where some natural sea pools were located. Here I stopped and decided to have a swim and then eat my lunch. I had mozzarella, hummus, bell pepper, cucumber, pretzel, olive bread, and a banana. Then I continued on and reached another area filled with small coves among cliffs. Some of them had some small buildings and boats docked and several people, especially the ones easily reachable by cars such as Cala Sala and Cala Incine with the medieval watchtower Torre Incina, while others were completely empty. I chose one of the latter to take yet another swim naked, so refreshing! After several more coves like that, I finally came in sight and reached the city of Monopoli. Here I was staying at a nice b&b, Borgo San Martino, inside an old restored 1700s house. The interior was narrow and my room upstairs had a low ceiling but it was quite nice. After leaving my stuff I decided to head out immediately and walk out of the city center to a nearby beach. I passed by the nice city beach of Cala Porta Vecchia, set right below the town walls in a beautiful picturesque setting. In ten minutes I passed four coves, Cala Cozze, Porto Bianco, Porto Rosso, and Porto Nero all with several people, and reached the final one, Porto Verde with a little less crowd. Here I had a swim in the beautiful blue and green water and then decided to head back into town. Here I first visited the church of Santa Maria del Suffragio with a beautiful baroque main altar and a small chapel with some embalmed priest mummies. As I walked further I passed by the beautiful baroque bell tower of the Cathedral, which was just nearby and which I then proceeded to visit. The building was quite large and its Baroque structure was wonderfully decorated with precious marbles. After the visit, I walked a little further and reached the church of St Francis with a nice exterior but simple neoclassical interior. I passed then the church of Santa Maria Amalfitana, once serving the merchant community from Amalfi, which was unfortunately closed. Nearby I reached the central and lively Piazza Garibaldi with the renaissance clock tower, the Torre Civica. I then walked around the old port and back through the city to reach the castle of Charles V, located at the northernmost tip of the old town. It was built during the 16th century after the Renaissance expansion of the defensive structures of the city which had already proved the city could withstand any attacks, particularly from the Ottoman and Saracen pirates. Then I reached another central square, Piazza or Largo Palmieri surrounded by 18th century baroque Palazzo Palmieri, the church of Peter, which was closed, and the church of St Theresa with a nice interior and exuberant and elegant baroque exterior. I then also visited the church of San Salvatore, used as a space to exhibit art and overlooking the town walls and sea. After one last walk through town, passing the nice church of St Domenico, with a nice Renaissance facade featuring an elegant rose window, but which was closed, I then decided to look for a place to have dinner. I ended up choosing a restaurant called Ai Portici where I had pizza with a dough similar to the Neapolitan one. It was good but not the best. Before heading to sleep, I had one last stroll to see the old town at sunset and later in the dark with the street lights turned on from the nearby beach viewpoint of Cala Porta Vecchia. It was really beautiful and one of the nicest towns in Puglia so far. That day I totaled 35km.
The next day I woke up early as I knew I had plenty of kilometers to walk, one of the toughest days on the pilgrimage. After one last early morning stroll through town, around 6am, I left Monopoli following the coastal way, passing by the beaches and coves I had seen the previous day. From there I had a nice view of the old town in the distance as I had the sun behind me once I turned to face the city. As Puglia is so far east, the sunrise is rather early, and it's impressive how at such an early hour it is already so high up and warm as well. What also surprised me was to find people already set on the beach and having a swim before 7am. As I left the city the coves became nicer and without anyone in sight; after passing a few coves and the nice medieval castle of St Stephen right on the water, I decided to stop at one of the nice beaches, the Cala Verde, and have a swim there. Once out of the water an older couple had set their beach towels next to my bag; I heard them speak Venetian dialect so I asked where they were from. They said they came from Nove and I told them I was from Vicenza so very close to their hometown. We talked a lot, me about my walk, and they about the places around there as they had bought a trullo 21 years before near Alberobello and have been coming here every summer. After the nice conversation, I then waved goodbye and continued along the trail. I passed by the Torre Cintola, another renaissance watchtower, and the medieval rock church of Torre San Giorgio once probably filled with frescoes. The rocky coast and coves gave then the way to sandy beaches which made it easier to walk and much more pleasant on the feet. Despite the hazy and cloudy sky because of the heat, the water was still super nice and clear. After a bit, the trail headed back towards the interior so I followed it, leaving the sea behind and soon after reaching the archaeological park of Egnazia. Once an important Messapian town it was later conquered by the Romans and flourished due to its presence along the Via Traiana and its proximity to the sea. Its name derives from the fact that its port was mainly used to reach the beginning of the Via Egnatia, the ancient road of communication that connected the Adriatic with the Aegean and the Black Sea through Greece and whose realization began in 146 B.C. The archaeological area of Egnatia is one of the most interesting and by far the most extensive archaeological site in Apulia; for the conspicuous findings of a certain type of pottery, it has also given its name to a decorative style of ceramics of the fourth and third centuries BC. As in the case of Castel del Monte, the entrance to the museum and site was free because they still hadn't renewed the contracts for the extras (ticket office, gift shops, cafés, etc). I started by visiting the Tomba del Melograno a Messapian tomb constructed underground with an interior still featuring frescoes and the stone doors with a door handle and hinges, an apparent rarity to find it preserved in such a tomb. Then i saw the necropolis, with two nice tombs that could be visited and finally the museum. It was really nicely laid out and divided into sections in chronological order, from the early times of the city to its downfall. From there I then visited the archeological site, which was a little detached from the museum. As I walked around the site I admired the Trajan way passing through its center, the ruins of houses, public and commercial buildings, an amphitheater, baths and the acropolis with the byzantine fort built later. The whole site was really nice and well worth a visit. As I left it, I had now entered Salento officially. I then continued along a nice road sided by the first beautiful olive trees, much larger and nicer than the ones I had seen so far as these were much older and featured beautiful and intricate structures. I then passed the 5 star Borgo Egnazia hotel and the nearby golf of San Domenico, where my parents would spend a couple of nights around Christmas after my dad had won a stay there while golfing. As I continued on, I then headed back towards the sea and reached the town of Savelletri on the coast. Here I bought some food and found a spot to eat. I had mozzarella, tomatoes, carrots, a sandwich with ham, and cherries. From Savelletri I then followed the coast but the buildings built right at the edge of the cliffs and beaches made it so I couldn't walk along the coast and instead had to follow the road. There was quite some traffic but it was still manageable. After a bit of walking, I then reached the town of Torre Canne with its lighthouse, a landmark of the town built in 1929. Here the path would've gone again towards the inside but I decided instead to keep on the coast and walk along the beach, which consisted of a very long stretch of continuous sand. It was very pleasant and despite the cloudy weather was still nice to see: I can imagine with nice sun and blue sky how the water could look like. At one point the small parts of beach umbrellas of private beaches ended and gave way to a wild coast part of the Parco Regionale le Dune, with nice dunes reaching the sea. The area was rather deserted, as it was far from any town and not easily reachable by car, and just had the random person walking along the seashore towards Torre Canne. Not long after, when I reached the estuary of the small river, Morelli, I needed to head towards the interior in order to reach Ostuni my destination for the day. Here I met a guy managing a parking lot and a woman, the client, who told me I could use a bicycle path through the countryside and from there take minor roads to reach the city. The kind lady accompanied me the first hundred meters to show me where the path would start and then headed back to her car. I followed the nice country road and obviously, as soon as I started the slight ascent surrounded by fields and the occasional olive trees, the sun decided to come out. It got warmer but at least the wind was still blowing which really helped a lot. I then walked further and passed a scenic remote area with some beautiful old olive trees, with different forms and figures, trunks, and branches contorted in all manners. Finally, after the last stretch, I reached the city of Ostuni which I was already able to spot from afar, located on a hilltop and known as the white city because of its stark white buildings characterizing the old town. From the town, I tried looking towards the sea but the view was bad as it was still covered by the haze and heat. I started my ascent of the old town, visiting the church of Santa Maria Della Stella, with a simple interior, on the way. Then through the narrow picturesque streets, I reached the top of the city center where the Cathedral is located. There was a wedding just finishing so I had to wait a little while before entering. In the meantime, I admired the Arco Scoppa, a stone arch that connects the Bishop's Palace to the Seminary. It was initially made of wood, but due to its precariousness, it was remade after 1750 by Cardinal Stoppa into stone. Its yellow color contrast in a picturesque way with the surrounding white buildings. Once I managed to enter the Cathedral, completed between 1470 and 1495 in a Late Gothic style with a beautiful rose window, I saw then the interior with nice baroque fitting and a wooden painted ceiling. Here I met with the priest and asked for the stamp, he told me to come down to the other church with him, so we descended down the old town on the other side. On the way the priest stopped people literally every few seconds, saying a word to one, a recommendation to another, thanks to someone else, and so forth; that surprise me as Ostuni is not such a small town, but he seemed to know everyone. We then reached the central Piazza Della Libertà where the town hall is located and the church of San Francesco, with a simple interior but elegant facade rebuilt in the 19th century, where the priest then gave me the stamp. I thanked him and after a visit to the church, exited and passed by the beautiful baroque Colonna di Sant'Oronzo, an obelisk erected in 1771 in devotion and gratitude to the patron saint of the city for saving it from the plague. From there I then walked a bit out of the city center to reach my accommodation, the b&b Vanessa. Here the son of the owner showed me to my room, and after a quick shower I headed out to buy groceries. Then once back at the accommodation, I ate my dinner as I was famished and tired after so many kilometers. I had lasagne, olives, cucumber, coppiette di suino, pepsi, and coconut. After dinner, I quickly left the place and headed back to the city center to meet with a fellow pilgrim who lived in the nearby town of Fasano who wished to do the walk and talk with me about it. He, Vito, and his girlfriend were very nice and even offered me a crepe. We talked a lot and then they even kindly drove me back to the b&b instead of letting me walk back the whole way. I thanked them a lot and wished them the best. Finally, I was able to head to sleep after totaling 47km that day.
In the morning after breakfast in the b&b and partly on the way while walking, I headed back to the old town, wanting to visit it a little better as I was tired the previous day and it was full of people and tourists. I arrived at a viewpoint and admire the beautiful panorama from there, with the old town and its white buildings, and around it the olive trees and Adriatic sea in the distance and the town of Monopoli as well. Finally, the wind had come and a breeze would follow me for the whole day, making it so that the heat and mist had disappeared and the sky was blue and with a beautiful sight. I then headed inside the old town passing by the Cathedral and the Arco Scoppa once more. Then through the narrow picturesque streets to the northern part where I had a beautiful view of the horizon and sea. It was time to leave, and I exited the town by following a nice countryside road with barely any cars, but some runners and speed walkers here and there enjoy the fresh crisp air of that beautiful day. Passing by some nice olive trees I then reached after a bit more walking, the town of Carovigno, located in a hilly area. Once there I reached the old town passing by the nice castle, located at the highest point of the town and built between the 12th and 15th centuries. After only managing to see its courtyard, because the interior could not be visited at that moment, I then passed by and visited the nearby churches of Chiesa Nuova, built around the 19th century, and the Chiesa di Sant'Anna, featuring a neo-Romanesque exterior and neoclassical interior. Then I reached and visited the main church, the Chiesa Madre that featured a plain neoclassical interior but a surviving old beautiful rose window on its western side. I met then two ladies speaking Venetian dialect who were surprised to hear about my hike and happy to see I had found the rose windows, as they were also looking for it. After the brief conversation, I then walked through the nice old town with the typical white buildings and reached the central Piazza Nzegna and the church of the Madonna del Carmelo. Here I saw also the nice city gate, Porta Brindisi, with the elegant clock tower, the Torre del Civile. From there I then left town heading southeast and once again followed a nice countryside road used as a tourist cycle path and passed more nice olive trees and the occasional trullos along the way before reaching the city of San Vito Dei Normanni. Here I entered through town and first passed by the church of San Domenico featuring a 16th-century renaissance style and a nice cloister now used as the city library. A little further on I reached the main square, Piazza Carducci, where the nice and large castle, the Castello Dentice di Frasso, once owned by the same family who also had the one of Carovigno. Its current appearance is more that of a residence or palace rather than a castle and its due to its refurbishment during the 16th century in the renaissance period, though part of its ancient aspect is still visible thanks to the medieval square tower most probably dating to the Norman period around the 12th century. Nearby I passed and visited the church of Santa Maria della Pietà with a simple neoclassical interior and right after it, the church of Santa Maria Degli Angeli which was though closed. I went on and reached the city's main church, the Basilica Santa Maria della Vittoria, with a nice and large interior and featuring a mostly renaissance and Baroque style from the 16th century. Further on I reached yet another church, the Santa Maria Della Mercede from the 18th century, and then doubled back towards the city center once again. I passed the castle once more and then reached a supermarket to get food. I took some stuff and found then a bench later to sit on and eat my lunch. I had farro salad, tomatoes, chickpeas, some olives, coppiette di suino, peaches, and a lemonade. I also bought some other food to take with me and eat later that night as I would be in the middle of nowhere with no supermarket around. After leaving San Vito I followed a main road with barely any traffic and then, after passing the castle of Serranova, now a private residence, I finally reached the b&b Eremo Degli Ulivi located in the middle of nowhere surrounded by beautiful olive trees. The owners, who arrived just as I got there showed me in and then left to go back to their place. I decided to take a nice nap on one of the hammocks outside. After it was time to have dinner. I cooked myself the orecchiette and tomato sauce I had taken with me and bell pepper on the pan. That day I totaled 32km.
In the morning after waking up at the usual hour 6:30am I had breakfast in the b&b and partly on the way leaving by 7:20. In about 40 minutes I reached the entrance to the Natural Reserve of Torre Guaceto, a protected natural area located on the Adriatic coast with beautiful and remote beaches. The first thing I came across was the low building of the sea turtle rescue center right next to the sea. Here is in fact a nice structure that helps those turtles that often nest in the area to rehabilitate and be reintroduced back to the sea. Then I met two cyclists who asked me if I was a tourist, I answered I was a tourist of some kind and told them about the pilgrimage. They were quite surprised and interested and we talked for a bit then said goodbye. I then started walking along the nice sandy beach with beach umbrellas just at the beginning but still without anyone around as no cars are allowed close to the natural reserve it is hard to reach and takes time for the tourists to arrive. I walked on and after reaching the end of the first beach, walked along the trail and reached the next, this being a smaller cove. I continued on, passing another cove where I came across the first person, a lady with a bicycle tanning naked on the beach. I continued on trying not to appear awkward and then reached another cove. This was completely empty so I decided to stop and have a swim naked. Then after a bit, a guy came with his bicycle and continued towards the end of the beach and stopped there. I came out, dressed up, and continued onwards. Just a little further I reached the medieval watchtower Torre Guaceto which gives its name to the nature reserve. Here some people were gathering around the tower probably to work on a project. From the tower, I had an amazing view of the beach and the crystal clear water. I walked along the nice sandy beach but noticed that this part was apparently protected even more than the previous, where no cars or boats along the coast were allowed, and here also swimming was forbidden. I walked a little and then encountered a guy going in the opposite direction. I asked where the area where swimming was forbidden ended and he said still quite a bit but that people, either way, would come here especially in august so I might as well find a spot and swim there too. I did so and found a really nice empty part where just a naked couple was sitting far in the distance. I then went swimming naked in the beautiful water, enjoying the peace and quiet, cold fresh crystal clear water, light breeze, and view of the tower in the distance. The guy then came back and I awkwardly tried staying underwater while talking with him. I told him about the pilgrimage and then seeing me in that situation, probably thought it was a bit weird so he wished me good travels and to enjoy the beautiful place there. After laying on the beach for a while I decided to head on as I still had some more to walk. I continued on along the nice beach starting to pass the first small groups of beach umbrellas and people. The coast started to become quite interesting with red crags reaching the sea reminding me a lot of Portugal. Then I walked along the coast close to the town of Posticeddu. The coast became rockier and harder to walk so I had to alternate a bit of walking along the seashore and a bit on top along the trails over the crags. I also had to walk a part of the road which was really narrow because of the overgrown bushes and with occasional cars speeding by and not caring about me. After walking like that for a bit I passed by the Torre Testa a medieval watchtower overlooking a nice small bay. Not far ahead I decided to stop along the coast and have my lunch sitting on a rock with my feet in the water, and even had a quick swim before eating as I felt rather warm. I had the leftovers brought from the previous day: tuna, carrots, olives, chickpeas, taralli, and banana. Then after eating I continued on and the way became even harder with the rocks not easy to walk on as they were very steep and the sea a bit rough. At one point as I reached the hamlet of Case Bianche, I was supposed to continue following the coastal road. On one side the way with the cars would have been risky and annoying, on the other the way along the rocky beaches hard and time-consuming. So in the end I ended up choosing to cut through the countryside along a minor road and reached Brindisi earlier in a less scenic fashion. The road was empty and though a bit boring among flat fields it was ok because the wind helped with the heat. I then entered Brindisi passing by the monumental Fontana Tancredi, once a roman fountain then renewed during the middle ages in 1192 by the will of the Norman king Tancredi of Sicily and used mainly to provide water for the transport animals that came to the city, but also to allow the irrigation of the fields in the area. Further on I passed close to the Castello Svevo, built around the 13th century, but which could not be visited as it's a military zone owned by the Italian Navy. After a bit more walking I then finally reached my b&b the Mare Nostrum located right in the middle of the city center. After a quick shower and change of clothes, I then decided to head towards the place suggested as a meeting place by the welcoming organization of Brindisi for those pilgrims arriving. I first passed by the nearby church of San Giovanni al Sepolcro, right next to the b&b, and thought to visit after and then reached the Accademia Degli Erranti hosted inside an ex monastery, the ex Convent of the Scuole Pie. Here I met Antonio who had been following me on Facebook. He is the lead of the organization Brindisi e le Antiche Strade which manages the three pilgrimages starting from (or passing through) the city of Brindisi and other events and cultural stuff. With him were two girls from the voluntary civil service and they showed me the building with the nice paintings of Armando Scivales and then they put me the four stamps they had for the pilgrim passport. They then even gave me figs from Antonio's grandpa's garden and took a picture with me in the convent's courtyard. I was then brought around the city to visit the main sites. We started out with the church of San Giovanni al Sepolcro which I had just passed before. Here the friendly Stefano, the guardian, gave a nice description of this interesting church once a focal point for pilgrims and templar knights heading to the holy land built during the 11th century and featuring a nice romanesque style with a circular plan typical of that period in imitation of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. There were a lot of interesting things, like the disposition of the columns, frescoes, decorations, a garden in the back, a roman Domus below, and traces of sword cuts on columns as the templar knights did it as a tradition before departing on a voyage. After the visit to the church, we then walked through the center passing by the monstrosity of the Teatro Nuovo built smack in the middle of the city after WWII as Brindisi was heavily bombed and thus has a lot of ugly buildings from the 1950s and onwards. Below it, we could see the traces of roman domuses which were found when the theatre was under construction; the site though was closed so we just saw it from afar. Then an old man on a bicycle came by and started talking about the ruins and other stuff of the city. I didn't wanna be rude so listened and reacted and the others were obviously a bit annoyed as they were the ones guiding me, but they laughed and said that's the nice thing about hospitable people in the south. However, I must say I have met such people wherever I went, both north and south of Italy and also abroad, so it is a thing about the person rather than where he is from. The funny thing was that he would then say goodbye after speaking once but then come back and start talking of something else, then say goodbye again, leave and come back and do it over again. After a bit like that, he eventually said goodbye one last time and never came back. Near the theatre, we also saw the ruins of the ancient church of San Pietro degli Schiavoni once serving the Slavonian community in the city. Right next door we then entered the Palazzo Granafei Nervegna, an example of a late renaissance city palace now seat of the city info point. Here the friendly worker showed me through the palace and the ruins of a Roman house below it. The focus of the place though was the amazing and huge roman column that once marked the end of the Appian Way at the tip of the city facing the sea and port to mark the way on towards the unknown. Nowadays the original column capital is inside the Palazzo while a copy replaces it on the site it used to stand upon, which we saw later. After seeing the beautiful columns and rest of the palace, we passed a nice house/palace with a 14th-century gothic decorated facade belonging to the Palazzo Balsamo. Then just in front, we reached the Piazza Duomo with the beautiful facade of the Cathedral. Next to it is the Portico dei Cavalieri Templari, a gothic portico from the 13th century which now functions as the main access to the Archaeological Museum Francesco Ribezzo. Here we visited the nice collection of statues, sculptures, vases, coins, and bronzes (the highlight of the museum) found in the sea around the city. Nearby we then finally reached the roman columns which as mentioned mark the end of the Appian Way, the road I had followed for the most part of the way from Rome to Benevento. The two columns stand at the start of a monumental staircase that ends at the waterfront; as mentioned the original capital of one of the columns is inside the Palazzo Granafei Nervegna and its copy now stands here. The other column, on the other hand, following an earthquake that damaged and toppled it in 1528 had its capital laying on the floor for over a century when the capital was eventually donated to the city of Lecce where it was used to top a column dedicated to the patron saint in 1666. The now remaining rest of the column stands now mutilated next to the other and still a testament to their might and importance. It is also believed the two columns might have also served as a signal for ships arriving in port as they would be noticing them first due to their size and height. As a ritual, I then took a photo in front of the columns on the monumental staircase, and then the kind Antonio and girls wished me good luck and goodbye. From here I went back to visit the Cathedral, once dating to the 11th century but rebuilt after an earthquake in 1743 in the Baroque style so just the facade was nice while the interior was so so and rather empty. After that, I tried visiting the churches of Santa Teresa and San Paolo but they were unfortunately closed. But I found open on the other side of town the church the Santissima Trinità; there was a mass going on and the crypt was unfortunately already closed but I saw its nice Romanesque structure and the frescoes inside. After strolling around town I then reached the waterfront once more and here decided to take the boat as suggested by Antonio and cross over the port to reach the other side. The ticket for the boat was just 1 euro and was rather nice and it allowed me to see the city from another perspective. Once across the water, I reached the Monumento al Marinaio d'Italia, a monument built in 1933 during fascist times to commemorate the approximately 6,000 sailors who fell in World War I. I climbed to the top for 3 euros and from there at about 53m had a beautiful view of the city center, port, and airport behind which in the distance the beautiful sun was setting. Then I went back down and took again the boat to cross back to the city center. Finally, I then headed to a nearby supermarket got some stuff, and went back to the b&b to cook dinner where I had pasta with tomato sauce and burrata. That day I totaled 27km.
In the morning after waking up I strolled one last time through the city center passing by the churches from the previous day which were again still closed that day, adding also that of St Benedict with a nice bell tower and portal. I then passed by the Vasche Limarie, ancient roman cisterns used to feed water to the city's fountains, and exited then through the southern city gate the porta Lecce out of the city. I first passed by a boring part, which I thought would be the same for the rest of the day, filled with flat fields. However soon it turned into a nice area with olive trees and later into an unexpected part through the natural reserve of the Bosco di Cerano. First, I passed by some nice vineyards surrounded by forest, then through the forest proper. It was really nice to finally be walking through an actual forest, a rarity since I had been walking through Puglia, and the last real one I had seen was many days before in the Gargano promontory. I guess, that due, to its fertility and the flat terrain most woods and forests in Puglia are gone and turned into fields instead, like in the plains of Veneto. After exiting the Cerano wood I then walked along a nice country road sided by tall trees which reminded me a lot of Tuscany. After that, I walked along a part where it was evident the damage done by the xylella bacteria on the olive trees of this area. This bacteria had hit most of the southern part of Puglia around 2013 causing a rapid decline in olive grove yields and by April 2015 was affecting most of the Salento area. In fact, the trees I now saw were mostly dead, cut, and some with just the trunk left, a desolate sight and completely different from the ones I had seen up to this point. After a bit, I then reached the archaeological site of Valesio once a Messapian then later turned into an ancient Roman town. It still had the ruins of the baths and an ancient tomb now turned into a trullo. It was not kept in the best shape but still nice to see as I walked by. Finally, after the last few kilometers, I reached the town of Torchiarolo. Here I went to the accommodation in the parish, the responsible Rosanna was not there but Antonio who also helped Rosanna, was there to greet me. He was a young guy and talked a lot, he then showed me inside and gave me the lunchbox for the following day. I showered, had lunch which I got from the supermarket, a sandwich with salami, cucumber, bell pepper, and apricots, and then napped a little. I then went to the place which Rosanna had suggested to me by message, Nonna Lisa, where I had an amazing dinner, antipasto of cold cuts and cheese, first course or pasta with zucchini and shrimp, and a fritto misto plus a half-liter wine for 15 euros. I was even a bit tipsy after as the wine takes double effect after walking due to the increased blood flow. I then finally headed back to the accommodation to sleep. That day I totaled 25km.
In the morning I woke up later than usual, at7am, and it took me a while to get ready as I had quite a headache and the night before had slept badly as I had woken up immediately after falling asleep from the heat. I had then opened the windows and managed to sleep like this but obviously, in the morning the light had come in early and disturbed my sleep. After a quick breakfast at the bar, included in the night at the parish by the kind Rosanna who couldn't meet me, a man there also kindly gave me a pill for the headache. Then I left and after about one and a half hours walking among more dead olive trees from the xylella and some occasional trulli I reached the Abbey of Santa Maria di Cerrate. Once there I waited the last few minutes till it opened and then paid the hefty ticket of 8€ to get in. The abbey is a beautiful example of romanesque architecture and was founded during the 12th century by Tancred King of Sicily and is currently managed by the FAI, Fondo Ambiente Italiano, an organization that aims to preserve and renew monuments throughout Italy. Once inside the complex, I started out by visiting the main church which had a nice portal and small rose window and an elegant side loggia on one side with beautifully decorated column capitals. The interior, small and dark, featured 13th and 14th-century frescoes and a nice baldachin from 1269. Around the church were other buildings which were added when the abbey was transformed into a farmhouse, a masseria, after the 16th century. Exhibited there were some frescoes that had been removed from the church in the 70s and exhibited in the nearby buildings. There was also a well and a structure that once served to produce olive oil that was part of the farmhouse and used for several centuries. After the visit, I talked with the staff there about my walk and said goodbye continuing on my journey. I walked through some more dead olive farms and then some fields with some wind farms, the first in so long since Celle San Vito, and then came in sight of a large smoke in the distance. Unfortunately, I noticed I was heading right in that direction, and in fact not long after I passed right next to a rampaging fire consuming the field and olive trees. It was right next to my path and it was going fast and strong. I didn't know what to do so I waited till it was advancing only on the grass and not on the trees and then took a dash for it. It was warmer as I passed but still manageable but I did get a lot of smoke in my face. Then after a bit more walking, I reached the town of Surbo. Here I visited the main church, Santa Maria del Popolo, originally from the 13th century with a nice clock tower added in 1586 and a nice cupola and bell tower as soon from the outside. I then looked for a supermarket and got some food there: tomatoes, peaches, and apricots to go with the sandwich I got from the kind Antonio the day before. I ate it on the way and soon after reached the city of Lecce. Here I had to wait for a while in front of the bed & breakfast, the b&b Lo Specchio del Salento, as the guy had called he was stuck in traffic. After checking in and a quick nap and a shower it was then time to head and visit the city. I first approached the nice walls, built during the 16th century, that fully encircle the city and are most evident here on the northwestern part. Then I entered the old town by passing through the monumental gate, Porta Napoli, erected in 1548 in honor of Emperor Charles V as a demonstration of gratitude for the fortification works carried out in defense of the city.
Right next to it I then visited the church of Santa Maria della Porta built in the neoclassical style during the 19th century in a circular plan. After that, I then visited the first scenic Baroque church, for which the city is known, Santa Maria della Provvidenza. Known as the church of the Alcantarine, a religious order of nuns, it was built during the 18th cent and features a beautiful facade. From there I then reached a picturesque area where the street, Via Umberto I, forms a small square and where the Palazzo dei Celestini and Basilica of Santa Croce are located. The former used to be the convent of the latter and is a beautiful monumental baroque palace that now serves as the offices of the Prefecture and the Province. Construction of the Basilica began in 1549 and was finished in 1646 and it is probably the most beautiful example of Leccese Baroque and features an amazing facade all decorated and pompous and with a large rose window. I tried entering the church and saw that a ticket was needed a ticket; I told the staff that I was a pilgrim and art student and they said then I could go for free, but for the other churches part of the circuit I would need to get the ticket from the office next to the cathedral. So I entered the basilica and saw the beautiful interior featuring a long tall nave with decorated columns and really nice altars. Then I reached the central Piazza Sant'Oronzo but both the Colonna di Sant'Oronzo and the church of San Marco, used by the Venetian community of Lecce, were covered in scaffolding. The former is a beautiful column 29m high at the top of which is a statue of the patron saint made in Venice in 1739. The column was erected as a sign of gratitude to Saint Oronzo for protecting the city from the plague that spread in 1656 in the Kingdom of Naples, and as mentioned previously still features the capital of one of the ancient Roman columns of Brindisi. Next to the two structures though I managed to see the beautiful remains of the ancient Roman amphitheater dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. The monument was discovered during the construction of the building of the Bank of Italy, carried out in the early 20th century, but for now, it is only possible to admire a third of the entire structure, as the rest is still hidden below the square where other buildings are present. From there I headed on and visited the church of Sant'Irene, another beautiful baroque monument from the end of the 16th beginning of the 17th century that featured some beautifully decorated altars, and the nearby cloister of the Convento dei Teatini. Then I reached the nearby Piazza Duomo, a picturesque square, where I entered the baroque Palazzo del Seminario which hosts the diocesan museum where I was able to get the ticket for the churches I had been told to get by the staff at the Basilica di Santa Croce. Being a pilgrim I was able to get it for free and so I happily went ahead to visit the exhibitions inside the museum first thing. Once back outside I headed on to see the Cathedral but because a funeral was taking place I decided to come back later to visit it. The Cathedral's bell tower, built between 1661 and 1682, was unfortunately covered in scaffolding so I could not appreciate it fully. As I continued on I then reached and visited the two baroque churches of Santa Theresa and Sant'Anna. The nearby large Basilica of San Giovanni Battista al Rosario with a splendid baroque facade was unfortunately closed though. Same with the church of the Carmine a little further on. Then I passed some nice palaces, such as Palazzo Tresca, Palazzo Palmieri, Palazzo Tamborino Cezzi, Palazzo Marulli-Famularo, Palazzo Vernazza, some baroque and others older and in the renaissance style and reached the ancient roman theatre. Dating to the 1st and 2nd century A.D. it was discovered in 1929 and is set in a picturesque point surrounded by nice buildings and with the Cathedral bell tower jutting out among the rooftops in the background. Nearby I then visited the church of San Matteo built at the end of the 17th century with nice altars and then the church of Santa Chiara with a nice interior featuring decorated altars and a wooden painted ceiling; both were part of the circuit of churches included in the ticket though San Matteo was not as nice as the others. After exiting the city center briefly I passed through the courtyard of the castle, built by Charles V around 1549 over a preexisting medieval one, and then back to the old town passing through some nice minor streets away from the crowds. I passed by the churches of San Niccolò dei Greci, San Giovanni Evangelista and Sant'Angelo all unfortunately closed. Then I re-exited town by passing through the baroque city gate, Porta San Biagio, from 1774 and reaching then the pizzeria Malafemmena where I had a pizza Margherita with beer for dinner. Finally, after one last stroll back through the city center seeing a magical sunset I finally managed to visit the Cathedral right before closing time at 9pm. The first church was built during the 12th century and later refurbished in the Romanesque style the following century; the current building is the reconstruction which took place between 1659 and 1670 in a beautiful baroque style. The interior was large and elegant and featured some impressive altars; also really nice was the crypt below which featured a pavement decorated with maiolica and 12th-century Romanesque columns with capitals representing monsters, animals, and other mythological and anthropomorphic figures. After the visit, it was time to back to the b&b to sleep. That day I totaled 32km.
After an early rise, I headed back through the city center of Lecce before leaving. I stopped at the main sights on the way as the morning light gave a completely different look to the afternoon of the previous day. I did the Basilica of Santa Croce, the Duomo, the theatre, and the amphitheater once again. Then I left town heading east past the castle and soon after passing through the small town of Merine and its main church Santa Maria delle Grazie. Then after a bit of countryside, I reached the town of Acaya an example of a fortified city, with an orthogonal road scheme. It is surrounded by low thick 16th century walls and a castle of the same period on its southwestern side. I passed by the castle and entered the small old town through the nice city gate from 1535. Inside the old town, I walked around admiring the architecture characterized by the typical yellow stone of the area and visited the main church of Santa Maria della Neve rebuilt in 1865. After strolling around I headed out, walked along the walls, and left heading further east and then south. I passed close to the town of Acquarica but not through it and then reached the town of Vernole. Here I visited the nice main square with the 18th-century column dedicated to St Anne and the church of Maria Santissima Assunta with a beautiful baroque facade and nice interior. I then stopped where an ape car was parked with veggies and bought some tomatoes and a cucumber from the owner. We talked a bit: he told me about tomatoes and I told him about my hike. After saying goodbye to the man I then stopped at the supermarket to get some taralli, olives and mozzarella to go with the veggies. Then I left town and walked through a nice countryside with many trullos, here more pyramid-like than the ones of the other days and which I later learned were called pajara. At one point I did a tiny detour to see a small but interesting 3rd-millennium B.C. dolmen known as the Dolmen Placa, discovered in 1909 and in the middle of nowhere surrounded by olive trees. Despite its small size, it was so fascinating to be seeing and touching such an ancient megalith that has withstood time and witnessed so many events and people throughout the ages. I continued onwards through more countryside eventually reaching the town of Martano. It is known for being part of the towns where an ethnic greek community called the Griko people inhabit this part of Puglia. They are descendants of ancient Greeks who came here before the Romans and then later during the Byzantine times as well, some of which still speak Griko a language of Greek origin. The town of Martano is the largest and the de-facto capital of this area known as Grecia Salentina. In town, I visited the nice city center with the castle, later turned into a palace, the Palazzo Baronale, the main church of Maria Santissima Assunta, and some really nice palaces with beautiful facades, some unfortunately crumbling and left empty. Another interesting feature of the town was the Case a Corte, courtyard houses consisting of different buildings facing a common courtyard generally close on the side of the street and typical of the Grecia Salentina. A similar feature I had seen while walking in Friuli. After the visit to the town, I then followed the trail and soon after, before reaching the nearby town of Carpignano Salentino, passed by a nice menhir, the Menhir Grassi, located right next to a road. After reaching the town I visited a super interesting underground hypogeum tomb turned later into an oil mill. Right next to it was also the Cripta di Santa Marina e Cristina which holds one of the oldest cycles of Byzantine frescoes in Apulia but which was unfortunately closed for restoration. As I continued on through town I saw some nice palaces. the main church of Assunzione Maria Vergine and some other nice architecture. Carpignano, like Martano is also part of the Grecia Salentina though here the ancient greek language has completely disappeared. I exited the old town and followed a trail which soon brought me through Serrano a nearby small town. It was a bit higher in altitude dominating the Serra Salentina, the hilly elevation typical of central Salento, so I had to walk a bit uphill. I then passed the nice church of San Giorgio and palace, Palazzo Lubelli, and then continued on. At this point, the trail was sided by some nice colored benches and tires and nice phrases and encouragements which I later learned, Fabio the one who would host me, had done. After a bit more walking I finally reached Cannole, also part of the Grecia Salentina, and as I walked through the old town I admired the main church of Madre di Dio and the castle, Castello Granafei, originally built during the 15th century but later turned into a palace during the 17th and 18th centuries. Not long after I then reached Fabio's house, the pilgrim who had agreed to host me, as he does sometimes with other pilgrims. He was very friendly showed me to my room and offered me a beer and nuts while we talked a bit. He gave some tips for tomorrow's stage and where to stop and what to see. Then he said he was very sorry he could not stay and have dinner with me but he needed to go back to his wife at the beach town as he was on vacation. I totally understood and thanked him a lot and then decided to head to eat where he had suggested, at the L'Araba Fenice restaurant where they had a pilgrim's menu for 13€. Fabio also managed to help me with the accommodation for the following day as he said 50€ was really too much: he told me there was this place in Otranto just outside the city where they had a tent for 20 euros. I said that was great and after calling I confirmed the place. I just then needed to figure out a way to cancel the other one which I already had confirmed and warned I would come the next day. After managing to cancel by saying I had had a problem I then went to have dinner at the suggested restaurant and had orecchiette with tomato sauce and cheese, sausage and potatoes, and salad and water. That day I totaled 40km.
In the morning after the usual early wake-up, I headed immediately out of town and passed by the Masseria Torcito, a 17th century fortified farmhouse. The place was locked up and abandoned but Fabio had suggested I visit some sites next to it. He had set up some signs for fellow pilgrims and travelers and the first thing I visited was the beautifully preserved huge dovecote which could hold up to 3000 birds. Then Fabio had also told me not to miss the hypogeum but I forgot where he had mentioned it would be. I looked around for quite a while and after about half-hour gave up and just decided to head back and follow the trail. Of course, just a few meters later I found a gate and a small building, and below it was the hypogeum. It was really nice and quite big with many alcoves and burial chambers. There was even a large circular stone in the middle that was used when the place was later turned into an oil mill, like many other hypogeums. After visiting the place I then left and continued on through the nice forest around the Masseria. After a bit through it, I left the forest, passed by some olive trees, and came upon another marked sight by Fabio once again. Here was another nice hypogeum, the Frantoio Ipogeo Anfiano, turned also into an oil mill later. After that, I started an ascent of a low hilly area known, part of the Serra Salentina where I reached the sanctuary of the Madonna of Montevergine. It was founded in 1707 above the rock church which features a Byzantine icon depicting the Madonna and Child, found according to legend by a shepherd boy in 1595. I visited the church and the cave below and then headed downhill to reach the nearby town of Palmariggi. Here I saw the nice tiny old town with the 14th century Aragonese castle and the baroque church of San Luca and then got some fruit from the daily market stand on the main square. After leaving town and continuing on across the countryside I took a tiny deviation from the trail to see the Dolmen stabile, a small but nice dolmen found in 1893. Not long after I arrived in the town of Giurdignano famous for holding the highest concentration of menhirs ever in its city center is known as the Giardino megalitico d'Italia or Italian megalith garden. and thus known as the Giardino megalitico d'Italia or Italian megalith garden. I saw about 8 just walking around town and there are many more around and in some private gardens as well. I then also asked at the tourist info point if it was possible to visit the Cripta San Salvatore and then a girl came to bring me inside after paying the 3€ ticket. It was a beautiful Byzantine church dug inside the rock dating to between the 8th and 10th centuries with part of frescoes still remaining and quite well-preserved too. For lunch, I then bought a kind of filled focaccia with potatoes and zucchini and some fruit and veggies. I ate on the way as I still had a few kilometers left and wished to arrive early. After the last stretch which headed down the Idro valley, a green valley created by the now small Idro river that reaches then Otranto. I walked along the trail and came upon the chiesa rupestre di Sant'Angelo. This interesting rock church was fenced off but easily accessible and featured barely any traces of frescoes left; by how they keep the place, those few left might be gone in a few years. Finally, not long after I reached Otranto stopping first at my accommodation which was on the way, the Orto dell'Idro. This place had been suggested to me by Fabio who told me he didn't personally know but the owner, Silvia has contacted him wishing to be then included in the accommodation list. Once there I was shown to my place, a nice yurt in the middle of the garden. Silvia created a permaculture association here after buying the land five years before, and grows her own plants and stuff, recycles, eats mostly vegan, and teaches yoga. The place was quite nice and peaceful, and after leaving my stuff I then decided to head immediately to town and visit it. I first reached the nice waterfront, the Lungomare Degli Eroi, and beach on the northern end of town which I had expected to be fuller considering the season. Then I walked through the city and first along the top of the walls to admire the view. It was in fact spectacular with the high walls topped by the buildings overlooking the amazingly clear water below; it was one of the purest and beautiful colors I had ever seen. I continued on along the top of the wall around the old town and ended at the castle rebuilt after the sack of Otranto in 1480, which I did not visit, and from there headed back this time through the town's narrow streets reaching the Cathedral. It was first built during the Norman rule and completed during the 11th century and features a Romanesque facade with baroque portal and gothic rose window, and an interesting detached fortified bell tower from the 12th century. Once inside I noticed the nice three naved plan with elegant columns and the nice wooden painted ceiling, but most importantly I marveled at the highlight of the church, the amazing mosaic created between 1163 and 1165. The iconography ranges from scenes from the Old Testament, cycles of chivalry, medieval bestiaries, and so forth. At the center is the figure of the Tree of Life, along which unfold the main representations retracing the human experience from the original sin to salvation. Among the images, there is also one that belongs to a famous theme of medieval sacred iconography, that of the ascension of Alexander the Great towed in the sky by two griffins, an allegory of pride that had much success in the Christian West. Next to the apse in the back of the church was a chapel where the remains of the about 800 Christians who were murdered on a nearby hill in 1480 by the ottomans are held. In fact, following the siege and sack of Otranto, the Ottomans took 813 inhabitants of the city who had taken refuge inside the Cathedral and brought them up to a nearby hill and decapitated and massacred them for refusing to convert to Islam after the fall of their city. Below the pavement, I then also saw the nice 11th-century crypt which featured nicely decorated column capitals. After the visit to the Cathedral, I decided to head down to the beach next to the city walls and have a swim in the beautiful water, and relax for a few hours under the warm sun. It was rather windy so I was never hot and felt very pleasant. Then after the sun was starting to be covered by the city walls I headed back into town and visited the church of San Pietro a beautiful example of a 10th-century Byzantine church, probably the most important in the whole region, with many frescoes still remaining. Then I went out of town and to the nearby hill where the martyrs had been murdered and where a church, that of Santa Maria dei Martiri, was built in 1614. Finally, it was time to head back to the accommodation, I passed one last time through the old town and by the impressive walls, exiting the town through the Porta Terra and Torre Alfonsina built by Alfonso of Aragon, the great liberator of the city from the Ottoman occupation in 1481. As I reached the accommodation, I found Silvia, the owner who was doing her yoga class with some people. I showered and then met Antonella, a friend of Fabio from Cannole, and Angelo from Trani who also participates in the association managing the walk and sometimes hosts pilgrims. She told me that at this point did not have any space available to host me and was sorry for that but glad to have met me. We talked a bit and then she left with the others. It was then time for dinner, Mau the Argentinian guy who helps Silvia (most of her help comes from people like him who come as volunteers through platforms such as work away) had to leave to go play the saxophone at one of the restaurants so wouldn't join us for dinner. Silvia then made pasta with zucchini and spices and a salad. We then talked a lot about general things and she was apparently rather against covid vaccination and rules on general. On other things, though we agreed and after the dinner, which I paid for 5 euros, it was time to sleep, though it had gotten already quite late. That day I totaled 30km.
In the morning I woke up at the usual hour and left early, grabbing some stuff from the garden and trees of the accommodation for breakfast. I then walked once more through the town of Otranto and admired once more the beautiful view from the top of the walls. Then I followed the trail which went along the coast starting by passing next to the partly crumbled watchtower, Torre del Serpe. Then the trail went through a nice small wood and reached what was once a bauxite quarry, now turned into a lake. It was rather nice as the blue water contrasted with the red earth around it. It was still early but not windy like the previous days so it was already really warm, luckily that changed once I reached the next sight shortly after. I arrived at the lighthouse of Punta Palascia, the easternmost point in Italy. Here I followed the steps down which reached the lighthouse, built in 1867, and admire the beautiful view from there and the vastness of the sea in front, with the strong breeze helping with the heat. It reminded me a lot of the coast in Portugal. From the lighthouse, I then had to follow shortly a road with barely any cars but it was funny because at one point a lady stopped her car and asked if I wanted a lift, I thanked her but told her I was doing the Via Francigena and intended to only walk, she was happy and surprised about it and told me she was part of a group that walks around the area. She then said bye as a car was approaching from behind and she had just stopped in the middle of the road in a curve. Then luckily the trail left the road and went through a nice rocky terrain with the sea in the distance and another watchtower in sight, the 16th century Torre Sant'Emiliano. Before reaching it though I decided to stop as the trail passed close to a small cove where I was able to have a nice refreshing swim. After passing the tower, one of the nicest along the coast particularly due to its location on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea, I then reached the hamlet of Porto Badisco with a beautiful cove and incredibly clear water already filled with people. Here I casually met once again the woman who had previously stopped in the car and recognized me as the pilgrim. She asked about my hike and we talked a bit then I asked her if there was a bar around, she brought me there and then said goodbye and good luck on my trail. I took a pasticciotto, a typical sweet cake from Salento, and then asked the bar owner to charge my phone for a few minutes while I relaxed and filled my water case. Then after leaving the small hamlet, instead of keeping down close to the sea, the trail headed up on the rocky plains overlooking the sea from afar but still running parallel to it. Unfortunately, it was rather dull as all the surrounding was burned from fires done probably by the farmers for future fertility of the land. After a bit, I passed by another watchtower, the Torre Specchia di Guardia, and then headed back down towards the sea reaching the nice town of Santa Cesarea Terme, known for its thermal baths and beautiful coast. Obviously, I did not go into one of the thermal baths, but, as I had gotten hungry, stopped at a bar to take a puccia to go. I had it with lard, tomatoes, rucola and smoked burrata but it was rather pricy at 7€. As I walked through the town I admired the nicely kept architecture, mostly consisting of hotels, and then past the beautiful Villa Sticchi, a late 19th-century extravagant villa built in the Moorish revival style. After heading along the coast, right after the city center, I reached a beautiful large cove, the Bay of Porto Miggiano, down among the cliffs. There were quite some people but after heading down the narrow dangerous steps dug on the side of the cliff, I then found a spot to leave my stuff and go in the beautiful water. After that, instead of following the trail again and going uphill once more, I kept down along the road with cars which luckily did not pass that often. It was much easier, faster, and often shaded by the unexpected many trees in the area. At one point I reached the Grotta della Zinzulusa, here I left the road and headed down a series of steps to the sea. This famous cave is a large opening to the sea with an inner part holding stalagmites and stalactites and an inner underground pool. I did not visit it as it was paid, but instead admired the part out facing the sea and had a little swim around the place. After that, I headed back up to the street and shortly after reached the town of Castro. Located on a hilltop overlooking the sea it has a really nice city center with a castle, built around the 12th century over a pre-existing Byzantine structure and later expanded during the Aragonese rule, well-preserved walls, and a nice main church. The latter was built around the 12th century but heavily altered throughout the centuries, particularly during the 1600s. On its northern side, the one that maintained the romanesque features the most, there was an interesting partly surviving apse of a byzantine church from the 9th or 10th century with some minimal traces of frescoes remaining. A little bit further on, on the edge of the old town and hilltop, I even saw the ruins of the temple of Minerva and part of the Messapian walls next to the medieval ones. From the old town, I then headed down to the Marina where I was amazed at the color of the sea right next to the town. It looked really picturesque with the fortified town at the top and white houses and the beautiful green/blue water below. From the town the trail then continued along the coast right next to the water on the rocky landscape, it was a little hard but better than watching out for cars constantly if I had followed the road instead. I then passed by the small cove of Cala dell'Acquaviva, which was super full. I found a tiny spot on the rocks and jumped in to freshen up and then immediately left. I then followed the road with cars once more, luckily again without many passing by, and walked past the hamlet of Marina di Marittima, consisting of mostly villas overlooking the sea and nice trees, and then reaching Marina di Andrano, where Paolina and her husband Gianni had come to pick me up. They brought me back to her mother's place in a town called Casarano about a half-hour away where I showered relaxed and then had dinner with them and their friends. We had lots of stuff: really tasty focaccia filled with onion, olives, capers, and bell peppers, another with spinach and ricotta, then melon and ham, salad, burger, and grilled sausage. Finally fruit and cassata, and then water, wine, and beer to drink. We talked quite a while and so ended up staying till late. It was then time to go to bed as I would need to get up early. That day I totaled 36km.
I woke up after just a few hours of sleep at 5:45am, tired and also a bit sad this would be my last day on the hike. Gianni then drove me to the town of Andrano and then headed off to work. From here I started my hike, seeing first the old town which was all still closed due to the early hour. I saw the nice castle, originally dating to the 13th century and later expanded during the 15th century, most probably after the siege of Otranto, and turned into more of a palace. I then left town walking along a nice trail parallel to the coast but still high up with beautiful views of the sea. I was passing on the so-called Serra del Mito, high up overlooking the sea. It was really nice and despite the heat and light haze from it, the view was great. I also passed by the 16th-century watchtower Torre del Sasso one of the many built along the coast. At one point the trail started heading towards the interior passing by olive trees, cactuses, prickly pears, and pajari, the trullo like structures with the flat roof. After a bit, I then came in sight of the town of Tricase. Right before I stopped to admire a large and beautiful oak, the Quercia dei Cento Cavalieri, that was nearly 900 years old. Then I reached the city and visited its nice main square, Piazza Giuseppe Pisanelli, with the Castello dei Principi Gallone, built around the 15th century and later turned into a grand palace, the church of the Natività della Beata Vergine Maria and the church of San Domenico on the other side of the square. The smaller Piazza Don Tonino Bello granted a picturesque view of the castle and the church of the Natività della Beata Vergine Maria which from this view looked huge and fortified. The interior of the latter dates to the end of the 18th century in a neoclassical style and was rather plain. The interior of the church of San Domenico on the other hand, from the 17th century and mostly baroque in style, was much nicer and featured elegant altars and a painted wooden ceiling. As i left town I stopped at the supermarket to grab some fruit and veggies for later and then passed by the Castello di Caprarica located in the southernmost part of Tricase. It featured a low yellow stone fortified structure dating to the end of the 16th century. Shortly after reached Tiggiano, where I passed by the church of Sant'Ippazio which was close, and then right next to it the beautiful 17th century Palazzo Baronale Serafini-Sauli with a citrus garden in the back which I then visited. Here I also found an apricot tree and gathered a lot of apricots but later got a bit of a stomach ache from eating too many. The garden also featured a beautifully preserved dovecot. After leaving town I reached the nearby I Corsano which I walked through passing by the church of Santa Rita which was closed. From Corsano I headed through the countryside and towards the sea, reaching it then at Marina di Novaglie. Here I got to the beach, which consisted of rocks and a large inner sea pool. I found a spot and then dove in the refreshing waters. Then after getting out of the water, I sat in the sun enjoying my lunch: a lot of leftovers from Paolina including the spinach ricotta pie, carrots, tomatoes, and peaches. After lunch and one last swim, I continued along the way which was now following a trail known ad the Sentiero delle Cipolliane. It was really beautiful and followed the coast right on top of some cliffs overlooking the sea; it reminded me a lot of the Amalfi coast. At one point along the way I also visited some interesting and amazing caves, the Grotte delle Cipolliane which gave their name to the trail, high up the cliff with the sea right down below. I then continued on admiring the beautiful views and eventually reached a place called Ciolo. It is a narrow coastal inlet sided by tall cliffs with a tall bridge crossing right above it. I had heard that people would jump off from it down into the sea, but many have been severely injured or died in the past and recent times too. Luckily while I was there no one attempted it, but there were still some kids jumping off from really high rocks right below it. From the bridge, I then went down a staircase and reached the tiny inlet beach, which was rather full, and had a nice swim, swimming also over to a sea cave. I then left the beach following the trail which meandered its way through the rocky interior sided by high and nice crags. I then reached the town of Gagliano del Capo not too far above, where I decided to stop at a bar and have a refreshing ice tea. I then asked the owner to charge my phone a little and fill my water bag. He was very friendly and before leaving also gave me a bottle of cold water for free. There were just a few kilometers left to reach Leuca and I was both excited and extremely sad. They passed both quick and slow with many thoughts going on through my head, I listened to some music on purpose and that made my thoughts run even more. I reminisced about the walk and all those days spent on foot without a break. Time had passed so fast and I could not imagine it was already over. I would have definitely walked another 30 days. Eventually, after a bit more walking through the countryside, I then reached my final destination, the sanctuary of Santa Maria di Leuca de Finibus Terrae, the end of the land, and the southernmost tip of Puglia. I was so excited but also sad, and cheered and applauded myself once there. There wasn't anyone apart from two german girls who had just arrived with their van and without knowing what it was about cheered me as well. I admired the beautiful church and convent with the column in front all made in the typical yellow stone. I then asked a passerby to take a photo of me and then headed into the basilica. The current church, constructed over previous ones, was built between 1720 and 1755 in a fortified manner to resist the numerous and repeated attacks by Turkish and Saracen raiders. From the exterior, it looked nice and scenic, while the interior was a bit disappointing as it didn't hold much; I guess from the fact that it was raided many times being so close to the coast. I then went inside the sacristy where I finally got my testimonium certifying my walk from Rome to Leuca from a kind nun. She asked for a contribution of 5 euros, a bit high, maybe 2 euros would have been enough. After exiting I then passed by the famous lighthouse, built in 1866 it is 48.60 m high from the base and sits at 102 m above sea level making it the second tallest in Italy after the one in Genova. From there I was able to admire the beautiful view of the town of Leuca, its port, and the endless sea around. It is here in fact that the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas meet. Next to the sanctuary and lighthouse I then headed down the monumental staircase built at the beginning of the 20th century to bring water from the Acquedotto Pugliese and which once had a waterfall trailing down through it but which during my visit did not function. As I descended the staircase I reached the bottom where the port is located and from there walked along the seaside and eventually reached the city center. Here I stopped at the tourist office to ask at what time and from where would the bus to Lecce leave; the worker there was rather confused and not so sure about the timetables but told me I could try to buy the ticket from a nearby bar. I went there and the owner sold me the ticket and told me at what time and from where to take the bus, which I eventually managed to catch in time leaving at 6pm for Lecce. It went along the coast through Gallipoli and took about 2h30. On it was all kinds of people, mostly young kids leaving the beach, coming inside bare-chested with umbrellas, chairs, floats, and obviously no mask, like most other Pugliese people I met along the way in bars and such. Finally, after reaching Lecce I headed to my accommodation, checked in, and then went to grab dinner at the Hambirreria where I had a really tasty burger. I was now done with my walk and that day totaled 37km, bringing the whole total of the pilgrimage to 1147km in 35 days.
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| The main square in Castel Gandolfo |
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| The ancient roman amphitheater of Albano Laziale |
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| The church of Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo in Ariccia |
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| Lake Nemi |
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| A view of Nemi |
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| The Porta Napoletana in Velletri |
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| The lake of Giulianello |
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| The old town of Cori |
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| Hercule's temple in Cori |
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| A view of Cori |
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| The view near Norma |
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| The entrance to the ancient Norba |
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| The archaeological site of the ancient Norba |
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| The town of Norma perched on a hilltop |
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| The Abbey of Valvisciolo |
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| The old town of Sermoneta |
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| The view of Sermoneta and its castle |
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| The view near Sezze |
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| On the way to Priverno |
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| Priverno's main square |
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| The Abbey of Fossanova |
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| The interior of the abbey |
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| The Cathedral of Terracina |
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| Terracina's ancient roman theatre |
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| The view from the top of Monte Sant'Angelo above Terracina |
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| Terracina's beach with the Sant'Angelo mount |
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| Beautiful flowers in Terracina's old town |
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| The Monastery of San Magno |
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| The elegant pulpit inside Fondi's Cathedral |
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| Fondi's castle |
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| The ancient roman road Appian Way between Fondi and Itri |
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| The old town of Itri |
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| A cow in the middle of the road on the way to Sperlonga |
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| The coast around Sperlonga |
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| View of Sperlonga |
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| A street in the old town of Sperlonga |
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| The coast between Sperlong and Gaeta |
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| The Fontania beach with the ancient roman ruins in the water and Gaeta in the background |
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| The Grotta del Turco in Gaeta |
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| A view of Gaeta from above |
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| The old town of Gaeta |
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| The Torre di Mola |
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| The nice secluded Sassolini beach near Scauri |
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| The archaeological site of Minturnae |
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| A street in the old town of Sessa Aurunca |
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| Sessa Aurunca's ancient roman theatre |
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| Sessa Aurunca's Cathedral |
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| The marvelous interior of the Cathedral |
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| A view of Sessa Aurunca |
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| Teano's ancient roman theatre |
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| A view of Riardo |
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| The old town of Riardo |
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| Faicchio's castle |
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| View of the Matese mountains |
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| The Arch of Trajan in Benevento |
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| The landscape between Benevento and Buonalbergo |
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| The countryside not far from Casalbore |
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| The main street in Celle San Vito |
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| The way down to the so-called Tavoliere delle Puglie with the Gargano in the distance |
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| The field around Troia |
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| The interior of Troia's Cathedral |
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| Lucera's fortress |
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| The ancient roman amphitheater in Lucera |
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| Piazza Municipio in San Severo |
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| The road towards the Gargano |
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| The Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel in Monte Sant'Angelo |
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| The cave inside the sanctuary |
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| A view of the town of Monte Sant'Angelo |
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| The saltpans near Margherita di Savoia |
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| The Colossus of Barletta with the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher |
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| The rear of the Cathedral in Barletta |
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| The beautiful entrance to the Palazzo della Marra |
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| Barletta's castle |
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| The Svevo Castle in Trani |
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| Trani's Cathedral |
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| The interior of Trani's Cathedral |
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| The Castel del Monte |
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| The oculus of Castel del Monte |
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| The Cathedral of Ruvo di Puglia |
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| The main street in Sovereto |
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| The Cathedral of Bitonto |
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| A detail in Bitonto's Cathedral |
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| The Porta Baresana and Torrione Angioino in Bitonto |
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| The ruins of Santa Maria del Buon Consiglio in Bari |
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| The Basilica of San Nicola in Bari |
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| The interior of the Basilica of San Nicola |
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| A street in the old town of Bari |
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| Bari's Cathedral |
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| Sunset in Bari |
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| Bari's seaside promenade |
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| View of the city center of Mola di Bari |
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| The coast between Cozze and San Vito |
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| The San Vito tower |
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| The Abbey of San Vito |
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| The famous sea cliffs of Polignano a Mare |
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| A street in the old town of Polignano |
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| View of the cliffs of Polignano |
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| The Cala Incine beach |
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| A beach near Monopoli |
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| Monopoli's city beach |
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| View of Monopoli's old town |
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| The town of Monopoli in the distance |
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| The rock church of Torre San Giorgio |
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| The Messapian tomb, Tomba del Melograno |
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| Part of the archaeological site of Egnazia |
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| An old and beautiful olive tree |
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| Olive trees on the way to Ostuni |
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| View of Ostuni's old town |
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| The Sant'Oronzo column in Ostuni |
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| View of Ostuni |
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| The Scoppa Arch in Ostuni |
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| The view of the coast from Ostuni |
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| The inner courtyard of Carovigno's castle |
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| A picturesque square in Carovigno's old town |
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| A covered street in Carovigno's old town |
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| Olive trees near Carovigno |
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| San Vito dei Normanni's city center |
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| The castle of San Vito dei Normanni |
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| One of the secluded beaches of Torre Guaceto |
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| The beautiful sea in the protected marine area of Torre Guaceto |
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| The coast near Posticeddu |
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| The coastal defensive tower Torre Testa |
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The Temple of San Giovanni al Sepolcro
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| The interior of the temple |
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| Detail of one of the roman columns which once stood on Brinidi's seaside |
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| Brindisi's Cathedral |
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| View of the old town of Brinidis from the Monunent to the Italian Sailor |
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| Sunset from the top of the monument to the Italian Sailor |
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| The Abbey of Santa Maria of Cerrate |
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| The interior of the Abbey church |
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| Burning land near Surbo |
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| Detail of a burning tree |
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| The Port Napoli, the western entrance to Lecce's city center |
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| A view of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Lecce |
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| The partly excavated ancient roman amphitheater in Lecce |
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| The interior of the church of St Irene in Lecce |
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| A street in the city center of Lecce |
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| Lecce's Cathedral by night |
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The Basilica of Santa Croce in Lecce
 | | The interior of the Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| The ancient roman theatre of Lecce |
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| The walled town of Acaya |
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| The church of Santa Maria Assunta in Vernole |
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| The Menhir Grassi |
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| The old town of Martano |
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| The hypogeum turned into an underground olive mill of Carpignano Salentino |
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The Masseria Torcito near Cannole
 | | The dovecot of the Masseria Torcito |
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| The Castle of Palmariggi |
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| The Stabile Dolmen near Giurdignano |
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| The crypt of San Salvatore in Giurdignano |
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| The walls of Otranto |
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| The Aragonese Castle in Otranto |
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Otranto's Cathedral
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| The mosaic representing the ascension of Alexander the Great |
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| The byzantine frescoes inside the church of St Peter in Otranto |
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| View of the old town of Otranto |
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| The Bauxite Cave near Otranto |
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| The Punta Palascia Lighthouse, the easternmost point in Italy |
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| The Sant'Emiliano Tower |
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| Santa Cesarea Terme |
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| The beach of Porto Miggiano |
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| The coast close to Porto Miggiano |
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| Entrance to the Zinzulusa Cave |
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| The church of the Annunziata in Castro |
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| Crystal clear water in Castro |
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| The town and bay of Castro |
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| Walking along the Serra del Mito |
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| The coast close to Andrano with the Torre del Sasso |
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| The main square of Tricase |
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| One of the Cipolliane Caves |
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| The coast close to Gagliano del Capo |
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| The coastal inlet known as Ciolo |
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| The Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Leuca |
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