The Francigena Way
The pilgrim is faithful, looking for sacred places, for a deep spirituality and for a silent and private dialogue between God and himself. Nowadays the pilgrimage is both a spiritual and cultural journey to discover our oldest traditions.
The Francigena Way is an historical itinerary, a millenary way once run by thousand of pilgrims who, leaving from France, moved towards the sacred places: Rome or the Holy Land, or, following the opposite way, towards Santiago di Compostela. Noblemen, ecclesiastic authorities and common people left everything they had to start their expiation or escape travel. They formed groups equipped with knapsack and ‘bordone’ (a sturdy, metal-pointed staff which has become almost the traveller’s symbol). Reception centres (abbeys, churches and “hospitals”) were an essential feature to offer assistance to pilgrims and travellers. 80 stage posts were listed by Archbishop Siric in his diary on the way from England to Rome in 990.
Pilgrims reached the territory of Piacenza after having waded the Po River: the first little village was Soprarivo, then Piacenza and then they followed Via Emilia passing through San Lazzaro, Montale, Pontenure, Cadeo and Fiorenzuola d’Arda. Once in Fiorenzuola they had the possibility to choose between two different ways: towards Fidenza or towards Castell’Arquato, Vigoleno and Vernasca. In Val d’Arda there was also another path from Lugagnano to Morfasso. These two last roads joined together at Passo del Pelizzone. From Pavia pilgrims reached Piacenza passing through Castel San Giovanni, Sarmato (famous because of the Saint Rocco di Montpellier) and San Nicolò. Pilgrims coming from Northern countries preferred to walk along Val Trebbia to stop in Bobbio, where the grave of the Irish monk St. Columban was preserved. After Bobbio, they followed the “abbots’ path” to join the main road towards Pontremoli, passing through Coli, Mareto, Boccolo tassi, Bardi, Borgotaro and Passo del Borgallo.
In ancient times thousands of pilgrims followed these roads: nowadays the Francigena Way is waiting for new modern pilgrims to visit the religious monuments in Piacenza, the Cistercian abbey of Chiaravalle della Colomba, the Romanesque churches and the old monasteries.
Not only faith, but also natural beauties, works of art and gastronomy for a new experience: religious, cultural and artistic.