At the turn of the first millennium, pilgrims were crossing Europe by the masses so that they could pray at the tomb of Peter the Apostle in Rome, some of which would then move on to the Holy Land, Jerusalem. Pilgrimage held a significance so great that the walks of faith, the roads connecting the most-frequented places of worship, villages, abbeys and lodging, began to develop. One of the most important of these still today is the Via Francigena.
The History
The name "Francigena" indicates the road or roads that, from the “Land of the Franks”, carried pilgrims across the Alpine Mountains and on towards Rome.
Monteriggioni (Siena)
Entry into Italy via the Alpine passes allowed the faithful to travel the Ancient Appian Way primarily, as well as the ancient Roman consulares roads, to get to Rome. Yet it was not until the diary of Sigerico (essentially an ancient guide book) was diffused that the number of travelers of the route multiplied. In this travel journal, the abbot Sigerico, named Bishop of Canterbury in 990 by Pope John XV, tells of the 80 landmarks he visited on a journey from Canterbury to Rome (where he was to be ordained); he narrated his pilgrimage with such detail and precision that this diary became an excellent point of reference for the majority of pilgrims wanting to follow in his footsteps.
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