Tom`s travels: Via Francigena from Piacenza to Sarzana (03-10/07/2022)

After heading back to Italy I decided to take about a week and hike another part of the Via Francigena, the famous pilgrimage way, this time from Piacenza to Sarzana. My brother was supposed to join me from the start, but a work-related issue forced him to join me several days later. So after leaving Jesolo, where I was based for those days, I caught a bus to Venice and from there a train which, after changing in Bologna, took me then to the city of Piacenza. I arrived late at night and headed to my accommodation, the Ostello del Teatro. I thought I was the only one there, but to my surprise, as I entered the large room filled with bunk beds, I found most of them taken and the majority of the people already sleeping. I unrolled my sleeping bag and went to bed as well. The next morning, I woke up last because I had planned to visit the city before heading on to walk the pilgrimage way. As I left the hostel, my first stop was the church of St Anna, a gothic building from the 14th century which I found open and has a nice peaceful interior. The facade, a typical brick gothic found in Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy was really impressive to look at. Continuing onwards I then reached another church, the Basilica di San Savino, which featured a baroque facade from 1721 that concealed a much older and interesting interior. In fact, the main nave showed the original 12th-century Romanesque appearance, with also a wooden crucifix from that time above the main altar. However, the most interesting feature was the crypt, located below the apse which featured Romanesque columns with decorated capitals and the remains of a 12thc century floor mosaic depicting the zodiac signs on a marine background. Next up I reached the large and central Piazza Duomo, dominated by the Cathedral to the south, which I then proceeded to visit. Constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries in a Romanesque style, it is considered one of the most important religious buildings in such a style in the country. The large Duomo features a 32m high gabled facade with three portals, decorated with capitals and Romanesque statues, and a 72,5m high 14th-century bell tower on the northern end. The interior, tall and spacious, has a nave and two aisles, divided by twenty-five massive pillars, and features nice frescoes from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The most important frescoes inside the Cathedral are those featured in the central dome which were made by Morazzone and Guercino. Below the presbytery, I then visited the crypt, with 108 columns with anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, and plant decorations on the capitals. After the visit to the Cathedral, I then headed on and reached the Basilica di Sant'Antonino. The church used to be the city's cathedral until 850 when the current Duomo took its place. After that, Sant'Antonino was reconstructed in its current Romanesque style during the 12th century. The church is also the location where the delegates of the Lombard League and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa met to sign the preliminaries of the Peace of Constance. I entered the building through the 14th-century northern portal, known as the portal of Paradise, with the tall octagonal tower looming over it. The interior was not as impressive as expected due to the baroque refurbishment the church received during the 17th and 18th centuries. From the church I continued on, passing by some nice palaces and buildings, reaching then the central and main square, Piazza Cavalli. The square is named so because of the presence of two equestrian statues depicting Ranuccio and Alessandro Farnese, made by Francesco Mochi between 1612 and 1628. Around the square we also some of the most important buildings in the city, the neoclassical Palazzo del Governatore from 1787, the Basilica of San Francesco, the 17th century Palazzo dei Mercanti, and the impressive Palazzo Comunale, known as the Gotico, a brick gothic palace from 1281 seat of the city's administration since the middle ages. After admiring the architecture I then entered the nearby Basilica of Saint Francis, another gothic religious building built between the 13th and 14th centuries. The interior was quite large and tall, typically gothic, and featured nice altars and burials of illustrious town citizens from the past. From there I moved on through the city and reached yet another church, the Basilica of San Giovanni in Canale. Built in the 13th century by the Dominicans, it features a 16th-century facade with a rose window and the interior is gothic with later additions including baroque and neoclassical frescoes and altars. Particularly nice was the Scotti family funerary ark in red Verona marble from the 15th century. After walking some more I reached the western end of town where I then visited the Basilica of Santa Maria di Campagna, once outside the city center and in the open countryside as the name suggests, but now enclosed in the renaissance walls that enclose the city. The current building is a Renaissance structure built between 1522 and 1528 over a previous smaller sanctuary. It was here that, during the council of Piacenza in March 1095, Pope Urban II announced the first crusade. The interior featured some beautiful Renaissance and Baroque paintings and frescoes covering most of the surface. Particularly noteworthy was the cupola frescoed by Pordenone between 1530 and 1535. From there I then headed back towards the center of the city, passing by two more churches, the Romanesque Santa Eufemia, which was closed, and the church of San Sisto. The latter featured a frontal cloister, a quadriporticus, and a mannerist facade from the late 16th century. Its interior features a nice wooden choir from the 16th century, and a copy of Raphael's Sistine Madonna attributed to Pietro Antonio Avanzini. The original painting by Raphael was once in this church but was sold by the Benedictine monks in 1754 to Augustus III, King of Poland, and is now on display in the Gemäldegalerie in Dresden. I visited the church quickly as a mass was starting and moved on to reach the nearby Palazzo Farnese. This huge Renaissance palace was commissioned by Ottavio Farnese to the architect Vignola starting in 1561 over the pre-existing Visconti citadel from the 14th century. The palace was supposed to take over the whole area of the citadel but was terminated in 1603 with only the eastern half completed as it became too dispendious for the dukes. If completed the palace would have been the largest in Italy, measuring 113.25 meters by 88 meters and over 40 meters in height. After the death of the last Farnese duke in 1731, the palace fell into disrepair and Charles of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies, who inherited the Farnese properties through his mother, had most of the furnishings of the palace transferred to Naples. The palace was then occupied by French troops during the Napoleonic wars and more of its furnishing was looted and brought to France. Nowadays, the palace holds the city museums which I had come to see. As I approached the entrance I noticed the stark difference between the two parts of the complex, the palace to the right, and the medieval citadel to the left with the thick walls and towers. I toured the different exhibitions located on the many floors and rooms of the palace, including the many 16th and 17th-century paintings and objects brought back. I particularly enjoyed the archaeological section which showcased the so-called Piacenza Liver, an Etruscan life-sized bronze model of a sheep's liver dated to the late 2nd century BC that was possibly used for haruspicy or divination by the reading of animal entrails. I also really like the large collection of carriages and coaches from different centuries. After the visit to the museum, it was time for me to finally start my walk. I decided to head to the train station and take a ride to the nearest town, Pontenure, in order to skip the suburbs and industrial area of Piacenza which would have been all through asphalt and sided by traffic. So once I reached Pontenure, which spared me nearly an extra 10km that day, I could finally start my hike. I got off the train and walked through the little town, passing by the main monument, the church of San Pietro, which featured a baroque facade and a nice 12th-century Romanesque bell tower. From the town I then headed south, starting to walk through the flat countryside with barely any trees with temperatures over 38 degrees Celsius. As I walked, I noticed fields of nearly ripe tomatoes and fields of onions that were ready to be picked and smelled really nice and intense. Not long after I reached the Paderna castle, a 15th-century fortified complex surrounded by a moat and a private property so I could only see it from the outside. Nearby I passed another castle, the Monatanaro Castle, very different from the previous one as this looked more like a large villa or palace from the 17th century and was quite run down. Further on I passed yet another castle, the Cerreto Landi Castle, from the 14th century and also private property. From then on the way, through fields of onions, corn, and some random sunflower ones was easy, flat, and mostly straight and with the Apennine Mountains not far off to the right. Eventually, I reached my destination for the day the town of Fiorenzuola d'Arda. I first walked through the old town heading directly to the accommodation, the parish of San Fiorenzo. I met up with the priest who then showed me to the little building behind the church. Here I met three other pilgrims, an old German lady who I would see for most of the pilgrimage, and a couple from the Netherlands whom I would meet much later in Aulla. After setting up my stuff on the bed I then decided to head out to look for a place to have dinner. Unfortunately, most of the restaurants in town were closed, including the one that had a pilgrim's menu, so I eventually chose to eat at the Ristorante Pizzeria Il Borgo where I had a steak with a side of grilled vegetables and a quarter liter of wine. After dinner, it was time to head to sleep as I was quite tired and the other pilgrims were going to sleep really early as they wished to leave before sunrise in the morning due to the heat of those days. That day I totaled 31km.

The morning after I woke up after all had left and headed to visit the church of San Fiorenzo which had been closed as I arrived the afternoon before. Built in a gothic style during the 15th century over a previous older church, it features some nice frescoes in the presbytery and a baroque wooden pulpit, and on the outside an 18th-century bell tower. After the visit to the church, I then headed out of town, walking eastwards through fields, before reaching the next stop, the Abbey of Chiaravalle della Colomba. This 12th-century Cistercian monastic complex was founded by monks from the Clairvaux Abbey in France. It was further refurbished during the 13th century when it was sacked and burned in 1248 by Frederick II of Swabia during his siege of nearby Parma, and during the 15th century, receiving its current mix of Romanesque and Gothic appearance. I first entered the Basilica proper with its long nave sided by smaller naves and with traces of frescoes in the apse. Then I moved on to visit the cloister, a beautiful example from the 14th century with over 100 columns made in red Verona marble. After the visit to the nice monastic complex, I headed on through the flat countryside passing by small farms and endless fields until I reached another Abbey, that of Castione Marchesi. This Romanesque monastery complex dates to the 11th century and received partial refurbishment during the 17th century. The interior was quite simple and featured the mostly original Romanesque structure, with nicely decorated capitals, and the apse featured baroque refurbishment. I decided to stop there to have my lunch and found a spot to sit on the wall of the partially surviving cloister. Here I ate the food I had brought with me, some bread with ham and cheese, tomatoes, and some fruit. After lunch, I then left the monastery and felt the day getting hotter with temperatures still in the high 30s. Walking further through more flat countryside sided by endless fields I eventually reached the town of Fidenza, my stop for the night. Once I reached the city, I headed on to the accommodation, Hotel Astoria. My brother and our friend Marco were going to come that day as we had planned to start the hike together from Fidenza. As mentioned my brother would not be able to start with us until the fourth day but he had chosen to still come to Fidenza to see us, sleep there, and then leave back to Milan in the morning. So after checking in at the hotel, a couple hours later Marco arrived, hiking as well but from another direction. We relaxed a little and then my brother arrived too. Together we then headed out into the city to explore it before dinner. We first reached the central Piazza Garibaldi, with the Palazzo Comunale, the gothic town hall originally built between 1273 and 1354, partially rebuilt after it was damaged in 1527 by Spanish and French troops, and with the neogothic facade which it received it 1875. From the main square, we then walked to the western end of town where we then admired the Porta di San Donnino, the medieval tower gate from 1364 with the remaining ruins of the ancient Roman bridge right in front of it. Right next to the gate was the tourist info point where we managed to get the stamp for our pilgrim pass. Right behind the gate we then went on to visit the city's main monument, the Cathedral. Built in a Romanesque style between the 12th and 13th centuries it is not only an important monument in the city but also in the country and especially for us as pilgrims as it was one of the main stops along the Via Francigena. Its exterior, particularly the facade and southern side, still features the original Romanesque decorations and statues and includes a statue of St Peter showing the way to Rome, and bas-reliefs of pilgrims. We enjoyed trying to spot them among the many other nice statues and reliefs which also included stories of St Domninus, a depiction of Charlemagne, Alexander the Great, and other motifs. The interior was less impressive than the exterior but still worth seeing and included a crypt with the relics of St Domninus. After the visit to the beautiful monument, we decided it was time for dinner. We ended up going to a rather popular place among workers, Pizzeria Ristorante Albergo Ugolini, where they had a pilgrim's menu for just 13 euros. We had pasta arrabbiata as the first course, chicken in a sauce with olives as the second, with a side salad, water, and wine. After a nice filling meal, we were off to the hotel ready for the following day. That day I walked 22km.

In the morning, my brother had to leave early so he left the hotel and told us we would meet in a couple of days. Then Marco and I got up, quite early as well as the sun was just rising, and went downstairs to have breakfast included in our room rate. As it was a buffet, we filled up and took some extra things with us to snack on later. Then we checked out of the hotel and were already leaving the city before 7:30am. We started walking south and were quite pleased to not be too hot yet on that nice morning. Not long after we started to walk slightly uphill, a bit of a difference from the monotonous flat land of the previous days, but obviously harder in the long run. The way despite the ups and downs was nice, featuring rolling hills covered in wheat fields with rolling bales. As we walked we saw the Costamezzana Castle not too far in the distance and then reached the church of Santa Maria Assunta in the small hamlet of Cella where we decided to have a break. After a few more kilometers, all on flat land this time, we then arrived in the town of Medesano, where we decided to stop again, this time to have lunch. We looked for a supermarket and then bought some stuff to eat at the main square. I had a farro salad, tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella di bufala, and an avocado. Once we had finished lunch we were back on track to walk the last few kilometers. However, just as we were leaving the town we met the old German pilgrim lady who seemed quite upset. She told us she was going to stop and sleep in Medesano but while trying to withdraw cash from an atm her card seemed not to work. We tried to help her by looking for another bank and after a while, she managed to withdraw. We told her just in case to call her bank back home and make sure it wasn't an issue of the car but just of that specific atm. After saying goodbye to the German lady, we then headed on, walking on a bicycle path alongside the main road until we reached another small town, Felegara. Here we entered a park siding the Taro River, which due to the heat was quite dry and with barely any water. The way through the small forest was still rather hot as the trees were sparse and small giving barely any shade. Once out we then crossed the bridge that crossed over the river and led us into the town of Fornovo di Taro, where we would then spend the night. As we entered the small old town, we then visited the main monument, the Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta. Originally dating to the 9th century, it was rebuilt in its current Romanesque style during the mid-11th century. It features a simple facade with two columns siding the portal featuring some human and zoomorphic representations and a statue of a pilgrim with the head missing. On the side of the facade was also a nice scene depicting hell with the damned subjected to terrible punishments by the demons. The interior, rather simple and austere, featured some capitals with decorated columns and an altar front slab from the church origins depicting the Martyrdom of St. Margaret. After the visit to the church we then had a look around town and stopped by the local supermarket, which due to its size was more of a mini market, to grab some stuff to eat. There wasn't much so we decided just to buy some snacks, fruit, and breakfast and for dinner try to order a pizza later. We then headed on to reach our accommodation, which was unfortunately located on the hills to the east of the old town. That meant walking further uphill, after a whole 34km in the heat, and we weren't so happy about it so tired as we were. But we eventually managed and reached the Villa Santa Maria, a monastery used as a spiritual manor managed by a few priests and nuns. Once there we met the friendly priest who showed us in and to our beds. I always like staying at such places during my pilgrimages because you get to enjoy being in really cool places away from everything else and generally with great views as well. In fact, from the rooms upstairs we had a great panorama over the surrounding hills. As we were really tired we dared not walk to town and back again for dinner and instead had a pizza delivered over to the place. We headed down to the refectory and ate it reminiscing the day and preparing for the next one.

The following morning, we woke up rather early, and after breakfast in the accommodation, left heading southwards through the hilly terrain. The weather was cloudy for the most part of the day, which in this case helped a lot against the heat of those days. In fact, despite that day being one of the toughest due to the distance and total ascent, the clouds and lower temperatures made it one of the easiest. After a bit of walking and passing a couple of hamlets, reached Sivizzano, a nice little hamlet. Here we stopped for a break and visited the church of Santa Margherita, originally founded during the 11th century, it was one of the many Romanesque monasteries of the area, popular among the pilgrims heading to Rome, just like the one in Fornovo. This church, which nowadays appears as an 18th-century Neoclassical reconstruction, in fact, hosted a hospital for pilgrims during the middle ages now used as an accommodation for modern pilgrims. A kind lady showed us in the church and around the building saying telling us how she usually hosts pilgrims but that year as she hadn't felt so well and was alone did not plan to host anyone unfortunately. We thanked her and then got back on following the trail. After a bit of uphill walking, we reached the next hamlet, Bardone, which featured yet another old church. The church was unfortunately closed but we still admire it from the outside. It was originally constructed in the 6th century in an early Christian style but took its current Romanesque style between the 11th and 13th centuries with further refurbishments during the 17th century. After filling up our bottles at the local fountain we then continued uphill heading through the countryside until we reached the small hamlet of Terenzo. From there we then had a steep climb through a forest which is usually one of the hardest parts of the hike but as the weather was still cloudy made it much more bearable. After the forest, we reached a small hamlet, Casola, a collection of old stone houses with a local church. We then had one last walk through a thick forest sided by nice panoramas across the valley below and mountains around until we reached the town of Cassio, our stop for the day. As we hadn't found any restaurants along the way and had only managed to snack on a few things, as soon as we reached Cassio we stopped to look for food. The were only two places, a restaurant that was just closing as it was well past 3pm, and a bar/restaurant where the kind owner luckily said would still make us something to eat that wasn't just sandwiches. We both had ravioli with borragine which were really tasty. After lunch, we then headed to the nearby Ostello where we eventually checked into our accommodation. Here we found again the old German lady and the two Dutch pilgrims and after greeting them decided to head to for a short afternoon nap. Once we woke up the sun was out shining once again, and we decided to head to see the so-called Salti del Diavolo just outside town. These outcrops of sedimentary rock dating back to the Cretaceous appear as a series of narrow spires that rise up to a height of 10 m above the surrounding hilly and forested terrain. As we reached the natural monument we marveled at the height of the walls and were interested to see some deep groves in the form of a series of lines. According to a local legend, they were the footprints left in ancient times by the fleeing devil, cast out by a hermit. After climbing some of the rocky outcrops and exploring around a little while admiring the beautiful panorama from there we then headed back to the accommodation. A while later my brother finally arrived, brought there by taxi as there was no bus at that hour. After he had unpacked and gotten ready we then headed out to have dinner, at the only other place in town. I had more ravioli this time with pumpkin filling and a nice glass of red wine. That day we walked 24km.

The following morning, after an early rise, we had breakfast and then left on our walk. The air was fresh and crispy and after a while of walking the sun started to warm us up, despite the altitude as we were around 900m above sea level. After walking through a nice hilly landscape sided by fields, forests, and beautiful panoramas we reached the first village, Castellonchio. We walked through its small but nice old town and continued on south. As we walked and admired the view we could make out in the distance the Groppo del Vescovo, one of the highest peaks in the area and our destination for that day. But first, we had many kilometers before us and quite a bit of uphill climb. After a bit more walking through nice terrain, we had to then walk downhill for a little while to reach the town of Berceto. This was the last inhabited place in the whole area, and we would not see another town until the following day. We entered the town from the north, passing by the ruins of what was once the castle. From there we continued on through some nice streets of the old town, reaching then the sprawling central main square. Here we visited the beautiful Duomo, built in a Romanesque style during the 12th century over a pre-existing monastery founded in 719 by the Lombard king Liutprand. It was modified during the 15th century and again in 1845 when the neo-romanesque facade was made. The small lunette in the main portal is, though, the original Romanesque and features the theme of redemption from sin. After the visit to the church, we walked around town admiring the nice city center and then looked for a place to buy some lunch for later. We went to a small supermarket and then through some market stalls to buy bread with cheese and ham and fruit and veggies. After that, it was time to move on and face the last few kilometers and the final stretch uphill. We left Berceto heading south and then started our ascent through a mix of open hilly countryside and thick forest. After a bit of walking, we then reached the pastures at the foot of the mountains where happy cows were peacefully grazing with no one but us to disturb them. We climbed a steep way to reach the top of the Groppo del Vescovo, at about 1243m above sea level, and one of the peaks of the Apennines that mark the border between the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. From the top in fact we had an incredible view over the surrounding mountains, valleys, and hills. Behind us Emilia-Romagna and in front of us Tuscany which we would then start walking through the following day. After enjoying the view for a little while, we then descended back down the way we came and followed the crest of the mountains arriving then at the Monte Valoria, another peak, this time at around 1230m, where we found a nice bench under a tree and stopped to have our lunch there. After the relaxing lunch in nature, it was time to finish our walk for the day by reaching the nearby Passo della Cisa, a famous Apennine pass located at 1041m above sea level and again the border between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. Here there were just a few buildings, a bar, a souvenir shop, a sanctuary, one or two houses, and a little wooden hut. This hut, called Capanna Twin, had been built just recently, in 2021 and now served pilgrims and hikers alike during the summer period. We had decided to stop here instead of continuing onwards as we thought the idea of sleeping in a hut surrounded by nature and away from any village, town, or city was quite cool. The place was quite tiny but had a bathroom with hot water and several beds one over the other like a really tall bunk bed. For dinner as the bar there closed at 6pm and there were no restaurants around we managed to call a place not too far away that delivered us then three hamburgers with fries. We enjoyed the meal at the hut and then found so many bushes of raspberries that we managed to fill a whole bag of them to eat at that moment and the whole next day as well. We then decided to walk around a little reaching the sanctuary from where we had a great panorama and enjoyed the sunset. Back at the hut, we relaxed a little and then went out at night. The place around the hut was pitch black as all the other buildings around were, at that moment, uninhabited and unlit and there were no other sources of light in a range of several kilometers as it was just mountains and forests. We were then amazed to find an enormous amount of fireflies, dancing around and giving us a beautiful sight to admire. It had been years since I had seen fireflies, mostly due to the pesticide which nowadays make it impossible to see them close to cities and even in the countryside, but also I thought I had never seen so many all together at once before. We enjoyed the sight for a bit but then decided to head back to the hut and sleep as we were a bit worried fireflies would not be the only animal in the area, as wolves due tend to roam these areas. That day we walked around 26km.

The following morning, after another early rise, we had breakfast with the raspberries we gathered the previous day and then set off on the walk. We passed by the sanctuary and from there started our descent down into Tuscany. The first part was through a nice dense forest, which due to the early hour, high altitude, and constant shade made it a little chilly. However, after a bit of walking, we then came out to the Passo del Righedo, where we had a nice view of the valley before us. Continuing onwards we then met a group of sem-wild horses hanging around under the shade of a large tree. Nearby was another broad opening, the Cucchero, from where we had yet another great view, this time easily spotting the tiny villages dotting the landscape such as Gravagna and Groppodalosio, which we would later stop at. From the top of the hill, we descended down through the forest, and as time passed and the elevation dropped we started to feel the July heat once more. We passed through the small hamlet of Cavezzana D'Antena, then Groppoli where we stopped to fill bottles and rest a little. Here we met an American man who had just recently bought a house with his wife, whose relatives once came from the area. He spoke very little Italian but said he was learning and was really fascinated to discover about our walk. After the nice talk, we then got back on our feet and continued onwards, still heading downhill. At one point we then crossed a small river and from there had to walk a little uphill to the next hamlet, Previdé. Here, a young couple from Brescia had bought a house and hosted pilgrims along the way. They had set up a nice area for those stopping along the way and made us some really tasty sandwiches for quite cheap. They also had a little box with snacks and drinks that you could get after leaving an offer. A little further uphill we then passed by another village, Groppodalosio, where, just below the houses, was a really nice old hunchback medieval bridge from 1574. We decided to stop there, as there were some nice little pools formed by the Magra River. We dropped the bags on the rocky bank, removed our clothes with just the underwear remaining, and went for a dip. The water was obviously freezing, but oh so refreshing. We stayed there for a while, enjoying the nice place, but then it was time for us to move, as we still had quite some way to go. From then on, the way was all uphill, steep but at least under the cover of the forest. We passed some small hamlets, Casalina, Versola, Toplecca di Sotto, and Toplecca di Sopra, before finally reaching the top of the hill, from where, through the leaves, we managed to have an incredible view of the Apuan Alps, with the grey peaks jutting out among all the surrounding greenery. The way headed downhill once again, shortly after, passing through the small town of Arzengio, with a pretty historic center, still featuring parts of the fortified walls that once surrounded it. From here we could finally see our destination, the town of Pontremoli, which we reached with a final descent. As we entered the town from the north, we first passed by the old paper mill, right on the river Magra, which here started to get larger than when we had last seen it. We then entered the old town passing through the Porta di Sommoborgo, also known as Porta Parma as it faces that city, the northern city gate built in 1607. Once inside we walked through the picturesque narrow streets, sided by tall slim buildings, and soon after took the chance to take a staircase leading through even narrower streets and uphill to reach the town's castle, the Castello del Piagnaro. This fortified structure sits on the highest point in town and dominates the city from the northern side and was originally constructed during the 11th century and further expanded and refurbished in the following centuries. We had read that it holds a hostel inside that also hosts pilgrims, but unfortunately, the place was still closed for renovations so we, unfortunately, could not sleep there. Instead, we entered the part which was open and featured a nice museum. The Museo delle statue stele lunigianesi is an archaeological museum that holds menhir statues from the Lunigiana, the region around Pontremoli, dated between the fourth and first millennia BC. The statues were super interesting, and still, rather a mystery, featuring anthropomorphic figures with half-moon, circular, or square heads and sometimes portrayed with weapons, particularly knives, swords, or axes. Similar menhir statues have been found in Spain, France, Sardinia, and in lesser parts of Europe, but still different from each other. We really enjoyed visiting the museum and also got to admire a beautiful view from the top of the castle, over the city and surrounding valley. After the visit, we left the castle, and headed down through the old town, reaching then the Duomo. Built during the 17th century in a baroque style, it featured a nicely decorated and lavish interior. Separated from it, and to the south, was the Campanone, the bell tower, originally built as a defensive tower in 1322 and turned to its current use during the 16th century. The church also functioned as a separation between the religious area, with the Duomo, and the civic one, where the main square with the town hall was set. From there we continued on, crossing then a bridge over the Magra River, and reaching then the Capuchin Friars Convent, just outside the old town, where we were going to spend the night. We checked in and were shown to our rooms, where we showered, changed, and had a little refreshing nap. Then we were off again, to look for a place to have dinner. We eventually opted for the Osteria San Francesco e il Lupo where I had a menu for 9 euros which included a second course, grilled pork chop with tomatoes, salad, and potatoes as a side, and a quarter liter of wine and water. After the nice dinner, we then headed back to our accommodation, ready for the next day, after 27km that day.

The next morning, after another early wake-up, we admired the cityscape as the sun had just started rising, and walked through the rest of town on our way out. We passed by the Porta e Torre di Castelnuovo, the city gate and tower dating to the 14th century, and then checked out the Ponte del Casotto, a medieval bridge rebuilt in 1391 and again in 1496. After seeing this nice part of town, it was time to move on, heading south through the last part of the old town, where we then stopped to grab some food from the local mini market which had just opened. We talked with the friendly owners, an old couple, and got fruit and snacks to have as breakfast. We then moved on, and shortly after reached the church of the Santissima Annunziata with the annexed monastery. The church itself was closed, but the two 15th-century cloisters were open as they hold the state archives. We walked through the nice, yet unkempt, complex and then continued on along the way. Again, as we walked, we could make out in the distance the jagged peaks of the Apuan Alps, in contrast with the greenish softer hills around. Not long after we then reached a small town, Ponticello, which developed between the 14th and 15th centuries as a stop along the Via Francigena. All built in local grey stone it featured narrow passageways, low round, and barrel arches connecting the streets and dwellings, and a nice example of a tower house dating back to the 12th century, a typical fortified dwelling with three overlapping rooms and an entrance located on the second floor, which was accessed by a retractable ladder. After a brief stop there we then got back on track and continued on, first through a forest, and then on open flat countryside close to the Magra River. At one point we then came across the Pieve di Santo Stefano a Sorano one of the most important Romanesque churches in the area. Rebuilt between the 11th and 12th centuries over a previous church from the 8th century, it was also mentioned in the 10th century by Sigeric, the Archbishop of Canterbury whose diary gave way to the modern Via Francigena. Its interior is quite sober, as typical for Romanesque buildings, and features a menhir statue found near the church, like those in Pontremoli, and a series of 18th-century arches added later among the Romanesque ones. We then walked around the church and admired its imposing structure with the nice three apses in the back and the thick fortified bell tower. Walking onwards we then reached the nearby small town of Filattiera, located on a low hilltop. It featured a small palace-like castle and some nice streets with old houses and palaces. There was also a 12th-century church, that of San Giorgio, but as we got there it was unfortunately closed. It is known for holding inside Leodegar's tombstone, which, in commemorating the death of the high personage (most likely a bishop) in 752, recalls the task entrusted to him: that of extirpating the pagan practices still in use around the region. In front of the church was also a nice tower, dating to the same period, and once part of the town's fortifications. From Filattiera the path then went through a forest, passing by a small remote church, the Oratorio della Beata Vergine Maria Annunziata, before coming out again into the flat countryside. Not long after we reached another town, Filetto, with an interesting layout in the form of a square surrounded by walls and defended by four cylindrical towers: a clear military fort once. It developed during the Byzantine period as a defense against the Langobards between the 6th and 7th centuries and is now a small jewel to visit. We walked through its pretty old town, entering the northern gate, past the church of Santi Filippo e Giacomo and the Palazzo dei Marchesi Ariberti, a massive 17th-century building featuring two elegant overhead passages. After a brief visit, we then exited through the southern gate and continued on and downhill to then reach the town of Villafranca in Lunigiana, located right by the Magra River. We first stopped at the local supermarket to grab some stuff and then headed to the old town by crossing on the old bridge over the Bagnone River. Here we found a stone bench in the shade and ate our lunch. After eating we visited the nearby church of Santi Giovanni e Nicolò, with a simple interior, and had a walk around the rest of the old town. From the town, we then walked uphill to reach another town, Virgoletta, which also featured a nice small historic center. It had a main church and a small castle at its highest point, turned into a palace, and later split into apartments. There were many other small towns scattered all around the surrounding hills, many of which with interesting castles which we could see from there, but unfortunately than meant walking many more kilometers and so we decided to stick to following the official way and head onwards. We walked for quite a while through a dense forest until we then came out once again in a hilly open area where we had yet another beautiful view of the Apuan Alps, always closer as we walked. Not long after we reach flat ground once again, close to the Magra River, where we passed the structure of the Castello di Terrarossa, a defensive fortress turned into a large 16th-century palace. We walked around the structure and not long after reached the nearby town of Aulla, where we would be spending the night. We reached our accommodation, the monastery of the Abbey of San Caprasio right in the city center. After checking in, showering, and changing, we went off to look for a place to eat. However, as it was a Saturday night most places, including the one that had a special pilgrim's menu, were booked, so we ended up eating at a place called Carbo Ristorante, where I had a tasty hamburger but which was a little small. Inside we met again with the Dutch and the old German lady pilgrims. In total that day we walked 37km, the longest day during the whole hike.

In the morning, our last one on the pilgrimage way, we woke up really early before sunrise and were already on the way as the sun was just rising. Right outside the town, the path headed uphill through a wooded hill, and not long after we met up with the old German lady. This was going to be the last time we would see her as she was heading on towards Rome while we would end our hike that day. After heading up the steep hill, panting from the exercise despite the still chilly morning air, we reached the small town of Bibola on a hilltop. As we walked to its highest point, where the small ruined castle was located, we had an amazing view of the whole surrounding landscape. After enjoying the view we then headed back down through town, and onwards, passing then another hamlet, Vecchietto, before heading back into the dense forest. We followed the path up and down for a while until we exited the forest right on the border between Tuscany and Liguria. From there we headed downhill to reach the town of Ponzano Superiore, in the latter region. The view of the old town on a hilltop with the plain below and the low hills separating from the sea in sight behind was incredible. Once we reached Ponzano we walked through its pretty streets, now typically Ligurian with the narrow streets and pastel-colored houses. We had a quick look inside the church of San Michele Arcangelo, where mass was taking place, and then after admiring the view continued onwards along the path. We left the town behind us, heading southwards and the weather felt much warmed than before. The treeline also changed, as we had gotten closer to the sea there were now mostly maritime pines and olive trees. We passed by the ruins of an old castle, the Castello della Brina, and then reach flatter land where we then followed the canal for a while eventually leading us into the city of Sarzana. This was going to be the official stop of the Francigena, and from then head eastwards southeast towards Lucca. However, we decided to end the walk in the nearby town of Lerici on the Ligurian coast. As I had seen Sarzana already, we walked around quickly, stopping then to visit at least the Cathedral, a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles on the outside and some baroque inside. The interior also held a beautiful 12th-century crucifix known as the Croce di Mastro Guglielmo and Renaissance and mannerist altars. After that, my brother decided he was done walking and so went on to take a bus from Sarzana directly to Lerici. Marco and I on the other hand decided to still walk all the way and hike the last kilometers to the sea. We first got some food at the local supermarket and ate it on a bench. Then we walked out of Sarzana and along a very trafficked road which was the only way to cross the now much wider Magra River in the area. Unfortunately, the bridge was not really planned as having a pedestrian sidewalk so we had to walk in the narrow space between the edge and the guardrail with many people driving by and looking strangely at us. A bicycle lane and sidewalk would be really nice here as the distance is not that far and people could then reach the sea easily. After crossing the river we passed through the small sparse town of Romito Magra with the castle and town of Trebiano Magra on the hills right above. From there we followed a path through the forest as we wished to stay away from the trafficked road. It looked all good until at one point we found the path, which was even officially marked, blocked with a sign saying private property ahead. That meant we had to backtrack a little and then through the help of a lady who saw us from her terrace, go through another private property and reach the road below. From there we followed the way and eventually reached the town of Lerici located right on the sea in a beautiful bay. As we reached the seafront we admired the picturesque old town on a little rocky outcrop on the sea with the typical pastel-colored houses and the medieval castle, originally dating to the 12th century but taking its current aspect around 1555. We walked through the pretty streets of the old town and went up to reach the castle; from here we followed a staircase leading us down to the tiny public beach to the south of the town where our brother, who had eaten in town, was waiting for us. We found a spot among the crowded place and then jumped in the water for a refreshing swim after a whole 28km that day and a total of 229km since the start of the pilgrimage. It felt really great and rejuvenating. We stayed on the beach for the rest of the afternoon, alternating nice swims with sunbathing. Eventually, it was time for us to go, so we headed back to town from where we then took a bus that brought us to the nearby city of La Spezia. Here we then took a train to Milan. Once there we parted ways, Marco back to his hometown while my brother and I to his place in Milan happy after a great hike together.