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 18 May, Friday - Call for Action
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18 May 2007, Friday (Day 28) - Bolsena. Today it's not exactly the type of river that instills fear in the heart of pilgrims and the bridge is just another non-descript piece of asphalt you'd never notice.
Yet in the Middle Ages pilgrims died in droves trying to cross this river, the Paglia, and it wasn't until the 16th Century that the construction of a sturdy, permanent bridge made the crossing safe. This bridge and this river are just one piece of the history of the Via Francigena, they are part of what makes it much more than a long walk, a religious pilgrimage or a personal spiritual awakening.
You walk up the hill from the Paglia and you are in Acquapendente, a town that owes much of its past development to the Via Francigena. But the past is prologue and the same Via Francigena if developed in a way that respects the environment could now be used to help Italians and foreigners discover Acquapendente and many other parts of Italy that are often overlooked.
Who knew, for example, that Acquapendente has a wonderful historic center well worth a weekend of your time (or that there is a bread shop on the main street leading into the historic center from the north that has focaccia dolce that's better than what I had in Lucca).
This is a call to Acquapendente and every town along the route to do more to develop the Via Francigena. What ever you are doing, and some towns are doing quite a lot, do more. Find and develop an alternate route that avoids the busy roads like many towns have done in the province of Pavia. Take out the paint and mark the trail like they have done in large parts of Tuscany and this first part of Northern Lazio.
Today it was with a slightly heavy heart that I left Tuscany after two weeks, but Lazio has so far not disappointed. Nine kilometers of trails and dirt roads accompanied by phenomenal views of Lake Bolsena wound their way between olive trees and green fields of grain straight into the Medieval heart of Bolsena.
In Bolsena I met up with Carl and Claire, who left and arrived before me today, and then with Massimiliano Vinci, a member of the Confraternita dei Romei della Via Francigena, a group that works to develop and protect the route and look after pilgrims. Massimiliano shepherded us up to Santa Maria del Giglio, an ex-convent run as a non-profit organization by Gigliola and Patrick. Perfect comes to mind when I think of the convent's garden, the views of the lake, the vineyards, the Etruscan caves and all the rest.
Tip for the day: the ex-convent of Santa Maria del Giglio. Stay the night here if at all possible (even though that entails a ten minute walk uphill from the center of Bolsena) and make sure you arrive early in the day so you can enjoy some time relaxing in the garden. If you are apt to take a day off now and again from your walk, this could be a good spot to do just that.
Trip details: Ponte a Rigo to Bolsena, 33.5 K. Altitude change: 540 meters up and 427 meters down. Walked so far: 801.8 K. Left to Rome: 127.9 K.
State of the route: mostly busy narrow roads until San Lorenzo Nuovo, but from there to Bolsena great trails in the hills with terrific panoramic views down to Lake Bolsena. Well marked with different types of signs for most of the way.
Weather report: intermittent clouds, cool.
Medical report: swelling of left Achilles tendon has come down, hurts if touched, but almost no pain while walking if I go a little more slowly than usual. |
 Near Bolsena |
 Acquapendente |
 Lake Bolsena and the garden at Santa Maria del Giglio |
 Home for a night in Ponte a Rigo |
 Bye-bye Tuscany |
 Sergio Pieri in Acquapendente |
 Patrick in his studio |
 Patrick and Gigliola run the ex-convent Santa Maria del Giglio |
 Lake Bolsena |
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Supporting the Project: |
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In collaboration with: |
Assessorato al Turismo e alle Attività Termali della Provincia di Pavia |
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Viaggiare in Puglia |
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L'Arte di Vivere
con Lentezza |
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