Via Francigena walking day two,Wed,11/06. From the outskirts of Monteroni to Buonconvento, 9 miles and a bit.

11 Jun
A fond”Farewell “ from our hotel,receptionist.
These are horseshoe momentos of the Siena “ Palio”.
Christina’s photo as we prepare to,start the walk. We walked down hill and around the Siena Salumi factory into the Tuscan countryside.
A communal laundry washing point.

Up the hill and another solitary sink for scrubbing.

Wonderful vistas as you are soaping up.

We walked for some way alongside a single track railway, passing through fields of Alfafa and young Sunflowers

Splendid poppies, too.
We crossed over a solitary bridge and eventually reached Ponte d’Arbia for a welcome break.
Americano , Gatorade and a babana – default morning break for me.

A welcoming place for pilgrims and we had a chat with French group who apart from a large group of Aussies yesterday are the only folk we have met on the Via,so,far.

A saucy tray.
We were leaving via its famous bridge which Tom had discovered escaped bombing by the Germans in the war.
The Francigena did not cross the bridge because there was no footway,but directed us to a nearby pedestrian crossing.
We got a great view of the Ponte from the pedestrian bridge
A tethering of donkeys aside the river.
A less peaceful,scene - Barking mad dog and Englishmen - glad he was not on the loose.
One of a number sculptures we passed on our way up,a steepish climb.
The climb begins.
These were on the approach to the summit.
One of a number of views.
Going down…
Buonconvento in the distance
Almost full bloom.

Buonconvento, only a few kilometres from Siena, is one of the most beautiful villages in the whole of Italy according to ANCI classification. Enclosed within a city wall built in 1379, the medieval village originally only had two entrances at opposite ends of the main street: towards the north is Porta Senese, where the original wooden doors and windows with metal fittings remain, and towards the south Porta Romana, which was destroyed in 1944 by the retreating Germans.

Via Soccini runs right through the historic centre, and was named in memory of the ancient family whose members included illustrious jurists, as well as a couple of heretics who organised various doctrinal Socinianism movements that developed during the sixteenth century.

The aforementioned doors
The high street.
Beautiful setting
We were all in agreement that this town had a really atmospheric feel of the Francigena – and that was before we had a beer.
Then on to our comfortable accommodation and a siesta for some.
Hotel Ghibellino

The name “Buonconvento” translates to “happy place” or “fortunate community” in English. It comes from the Latin phrase “bonus conventus,” which refers to a gathering of good people in a place that is enjoyable and beneficial. The town’s name reflects the historical setting as a safe and welcoming location for travelers on the Via Francigena, a historical pilgrimage route. 

Thanks to the group for some of the photos.

Iconic Cypress Trees of Tuscany.

One Response to “Via Francigena walking day two,Wed,11/06. From the outskirts of Monteroni to Buonconvento, 9 miles and a bit.”

  1. slodown's avatar
    slodown 12/06/2025 at 06:26 #

    Thanks John. That climb toward Buonconvento looked daunting to me!

    Reply

Leave a reply to slodown Cancel reply