ensuitepilgrim's Blog

“Today, after many days, we are leaving Tuscany to enter Lazio, through the Etruscan territory of Tuscia. And the countryside of the hills goes to give way to a land located in the Paglio valley. And the people will tend to another style. The care of the medium, and the cleanliness, will not be so great. In any case, Acquapendente is a historic location that will make a good impression.” GRONZE

It is a nine minute bus ride departing Centeno at 12.15, 14.00, 15.58 – fare €1.1. However, there may be fewer services on a Sunday .A taxi will cost €30.00. The Sloways app. has details of the alternative route which takes you off the road but is considerably longer.

What follows is an extract from a Pelegrina’s recent blog about which route to take. From “ Eva on the Francigena “:

“ I hung a left onto the path paralleling the Via Cassia, which after about an hour of cross-crossing the highway through fields and stands of trees, brought me into Centeno at 11:30. Now it was decision time. I could wait 20 minutes for the alleged bus — though I have less faith on Cotral (the Lazio bus network) than the Tuscan buses which seem to be reasonably reliable. If not, I could wait 30 minutes for the decent-looking trattoria in town to open. Or, I could try my luck further down the line and start walking the road. I had been observing the highway over the last hour and there really wasn’t that much traffic (certainly, I’ve seen worse in the last 80 days), so I decided to head onwards with courage and agility. 

Really, this section was not that bad at all. There was almost always enough space to step aside onto a strip of grass when cars passed (every few minutes), and I got lucky that nobody passed me when I walked around curves, hemmed in by metal barriers. After maybe 30 minutes of this the route planners graciously directed me off the road to a small path immediately parallel to the highway, which the guidebook didn’t seem to know about. 

Even better, about 5kms before Acquapendente, I passed a small bar / restaurant catering to pilgrims. So I would get to have lunch, after all.”

Hopefully, after which ever method/ route is chosen we reach Acquapendente.

Accommodation for this evening is in centrally situated Albergo Toscana. Piazza Nazario Sauro, 5 – IT 01021 Acquapendente

“It is worth preparing yourself for one of the hardest days of the Francigena. It is obviously so because of its length, but also because of its rugged profile and and long,final climb, from 300 to 814 m. The beauty of the landscape, still in the Val d’Orcia, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, compensates for this.For almost the entire stage, which can cause anxiety, you will see Radicofani, an austere but at the same time charming village, located on the slopes of an ancient volcano.” GRONZE GUIDE

To walk the Via Francigena from Castiglione d’Orcia to Radicofani, follow the marked trail, which involves a descent towards the valley and a crossing of fords. A1 .

We shall need to plan for food and water carefully for this stage, since fountains and food stops are limited, with the only refreshment directly on the route is an agriturismo near Gallina. Otherwise a saunter into Gallina itself,1.1 KM to Ostella La Vecchia Posta.

Vineyards and road walking, plus three torrentes to cross.

2.6 KM from the Gallina turning brings you to Agriturismo Passalacqua, lunch available to pilgrims – it’s an organic farm directly on the path.

The road continues down towards the SR2 Via Cassia at the bottom of the hill where we turn right to walk up amongst vast field of hay or alfafa in season , heading towards high-tension power lines. The historic Church of San Pellegrino at Briccole is next. It was once a flourishing abbey.

The road turns to grass alongside a large pasture,continuing along the grassy road until reaching the Old Via Cassia at, where we turn right ,passing Agriturismo Sant’Alberto, where there is a pilgrim rest area. Going left at a fork we begin a long and sustained climb,ending at new SR2 Via Cassia. Crossing the road carefully we follow a gravel path, between the river Formone and the highway.

Looking at this night’s accommodation,at some point before Radicofani ,we veer left, off the SP478 to Agriturismo La Selvella. Sloways will doubtless inform us of our route.

Then through woodlands enjoying views to the right, of a tall mountain.

The village stands astride a high ridge between Tuscany and Lazio.

LINK BELOW FOR INFORMATION ABOUT RADICOFANI

https://www.visittuscany.com/en/towns-and-villages/radicofani/

“VERY SUPERSTITIOUS” by Stevie Wonder.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=2PJ__4Nzzkk&si=DQDr0QZxJRTx0cuQ

Superstition has often to do with numbers. I know that in some countries 13 is a very bad number. Well, in Italy, 13 is considered a lucky number, whilst fearing the number 17. Better be careful and do not plan anything important on a Friday 17, because it is considered a very bad day. Below is a link to a lighthearted article about superstitions in Italy.

https://instantlyitaly.com/are-italians-really-superstitious-superstition-in-italy/

It’s a short stage today, but a beautiful one,the reason is to break what would be 29 KM trek to Radocafani, including a long climb at the end of the day.

We shall depart along the Via Dante Alighieri, the pedestrian street,turning right on to the Via Matteoli,then left onto Via Garibaldi,some suburban walking then at a Y junction ( 1.2KM ), the road turns to gravel and climbs,sometimes steeply,leading to a fine view.

The road returns to concrete on the descent,but we follow arrows to the left, to enter the picturesque hamlet of Vignoni Alto.

https://castellitoscani.com/en/vignoni-castle/

Leaving the village there is a sign to a pedestrian bridge over the River Orcia,however it has been closed for repairs,if not reopened, we continue downhill to the Via Cassia and cross via the auto bridge. Then veering right along a driveway to an Osteria, before which turning left on to the VF. We cross the SP323, passing a small vineyard and orchard on to a gravel road to Castiglione d’Orcia.

https://www.visittuscany.com/en/towns-and-villages/castiglione-dorcia/

Lodgings for this evening are in B&B II Vecchietta. B&B “The Old Lady”.

A RECENT REVIEW “The owners of Il Vecchietta, Sylvia and Arturo, were such welcoming and kind hosts and I could not have asked for a more wonderful stay, if only it was longer. Their beautiful B&B is on the Via Francigena pilgrim path located in the historic center of Castiglione d’Orcia. My room was spacious, well furnished and with a great view of the Rocca di Tentennano. The bathroom was also excellent. It was great having access to the communal kitchen after a long day of walking . Sylvia was very accommodating of my early start the next day with a delicious homemade breakfast prepared for me and goodies to go! Thank you both for your generous hospitality and I do hope to return.”

The road continues along ridges with majestic views of the Tuscan countryside until we reach Torrenieri, with facilities.

“Torrenieri takes its name from a fortified outpost with a black (‘nero’) tower (‘torre’), either by virtue of having been built of dark stone or because the stone was blackened by fire. In 1452 Eleanor, Princess of Portugal, stayed here on her way to marry the emperor Federico III. Being on the Via Francigena, it is constantly traversed by pilgrims on their way to Rome. The diary of the travels of the Archbishop Sigeric from Canterbury describes the tower as having been a hostel from around the year 1,000 AD, but from the 12th-century became a private dwelling and later a castle. Dante may have stopped here during a trip to Rome. In the 14th-century several events in the town are recounted in the novel of the ninth day of the Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio. In the 18th-century census Torrenieri was described as “on the road from Siena to Rome, upon an easily accessible hill, entirely cultivated in vines and olives, the small castle of Torrenieri.”

Below are links to this beautiful town.

https://www.visitsanquirico.it/en/discover-news/must-see/san-quirico-dorcia-the-charm-of-history-the-beauty-of-the-landscape/

https://www.visitsanquirico.it/en/discover-news/must-see/san-quirico-dorcia-the-charm-of-history-the-beauty-of-the-landscape/

The accommodation for this evening is Hotel Palazzuolo, Via Santa Caterina, on the outskirts of the town. An 11 minute walk to Via Dante Alighieri, the way out of San Quirico.

Don’t worry, we’ll be taking our time on what should be a short,relaxing stroll. In fact,time could be spent exploring the town before departure,if wanted and also stocking up on snacks / water.

Lucignano d’Arbia is a beautiful fortified village, which has carefully kept much of its original medieval architecture. We were greeted at the Porta Senese, the gateway into town, by the old brick,water well, where residents drew their daily water for centuries.

The tall solid brick tower, the Torre del Cassero, dates to the 13th century, as does the beautiful church of San Francesco; the church has a Gothic portal and frescoes by Bartolo di Fredi. The Pieve di San Giovanni Battista is Romanesque, with stone vaults and paintings.

Lucignano d’Arbia is compact and a pretty village to wander. Surrounding it are the postcard-like images of the Tuscan countryside with grape vines, rolling hills and cypress trees.

This is an informative link to the history of Ponte d’Arbia.

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://centrocresti.it/en/history/&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwirpbSssaqLAxUxXEEAHbRJLmcQFnoECDgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2Km7YIzykpp2lASvOyRy9C

We walk uphill en route to Buonconvento, along a series of paths that keep us among fields and off the SR2. The climb is a little steeper towards the top – good views – and eventually pick up the SR2 Via Cassia just before the town, crossing the River Ombrone to enter Buonconvento via the Porto Sienes. About an hour’s walk from Ponte d’Arbia.

An excellent and beautifully illustrated guide to the town.

https://www.discovertuscany.com/crete-senesi/visit-buonconvento.html

Unusually for this part of Tuscany. It’s a medieval walled town (with post-war expansions) which is situated on a plain (and not a hill) at the intersection of the Arbia and Ombrone rivers, surrounded by the grey clay-scarred hills of the Crete Senesi. Located approximately 16 miles to the south-east of Siena ,the town became an important trading centre in the thirteenth century and later a military town for the City State of Siena, which presumably triggered the need for the high town walls and gates which were constructed between 1371 and 1383. 

On a practical note, supermarket Il Frutteto Di Tatania and Charlie’s Pub pizzeria are very close by and recommended.

We make our first saunter along the Camino

Francigena .

It’s a 1.7 km walk to the Porto Romano (22 mins), the traditional exit point from the city. We shall have the first of many encounters with the historic Via Cassia,built by the Romans to connect Rome and Florence.

Expect vast farmlands, small hamlets and farmhouses. Red Sienese farmland is replaced by Crete Senesi – gray claylike soil – which gives its name to this region.After passing through an industrial zone,we walk into Isola d’Arbia. Fork right off the highway to a bar, if needed.

A little further on we encounter Ponte a Tressa,located at the confluence of the Tressa and Arabia rivers – pilgrim links date back to its 12 th century pilgrim hospital. 15th century Church of San Michele Arcangelo. Refreshments and bus stop available here,too.

Continuing among fields of Alfafa and grain until Grancia di Cuna ( water ). This one of Tuscany’s best-preserved fortified farms

After Cuna the road circles down, through duplex style homes and the on to a narrow path that climbs to a cell phone tower – expect wide vistas over the countryside. Very soon we come to Monteroni d’Arbia, the largest town in the area – all amenities.

After here there are no more facilities until Lucignano but it’s not too far to,our destination.

Hotel Borgo Antico

Via di Lucignano, 405 (bus stop outside)

We leave Digbeth coach station at 07.05 ,arriving at Luton airport at 10.05.

Flight to Pisa, departing at 12.50, arriving in Pisa at 16.10 ( hour’s time difference ). Then to Siena by Sloways minibus. Expected arrival time after a journey of 125 KM – 19.00 at best – 12 hours…

This leaves little time for exploring Siena. I attach a link for your interest.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/st-dominics-basilica

Siena -Hotel Chiusarelli – where we are staying – Restaurant recommended,too.

Viale Curtatone, 15

This patio looks very inviting…

LYME REGIS – Situated on the world-famous Jurassic Coast.

Making our way towards the Coastal path we came across another local hero with a sea faring pedigree.

It was a most enjoyable morning in what is a charming resort – no high rise buildings or “ tat” – Lyme Regis retains a traditional English seaside atmosphere and seems to be doing very well with it remaining so.

Sunday afternoon in Ilminster

In Victorian times the town was an important staging post for travellers with east-west and north-south routes converging there. The town is now by – passed by the A 358 & A 303.

The other one looks as though it’s receiving some much needed TLC !

After breakfast,on Saturday morning, we drove six miles or so to South Petherton, to begin our circular walk through small unspoilt villages, arable fields and orchards.

One of many Market towns hereabouts.

Time to move on from Merriot’s parish church after a lunch stop.

After another welcome dinner at The Shrubbery, I put on a bit of a “ Folderol” for the group and after a long day the “ audience “ did well to keep up the pace!

I have driven past the motorway exit to Taunton many times but never felt tempted to visit Somerset’s county town. However, we decided to break our journey to The Shrubbery Hotel Ilminster, at Taunton. Choosing the Gateway Park and Ride proved to be a good option and avoided the hassle of driving into the town and finding somewhere to park.

First port of call was a coffee stop, almost opposite the bus stop – The Bakery, housed in a former Royal Bank of Scotland.

Much of the centre is semi pedestrianised and we were soon struck by a number of interesting buildings.

We were only planning on a couple of hours, to include a picnic, ideally in a green spot and by pure chance we happened upon part of the town’s Heritage Trail, by taking a random turn down an alley into Bath Place – a row of original 19th century shop frontages and small mansions.

We then came to the Weir which was perfect for an alfresco lunch on a nearby bench.

Closer to the town centre – the Taunton Minster’ striking tower.

Then it was a short wait for the bus back to the ParknRide. What struck me about Taunton during this short saunter, was what an interesting and well kept town it was, with the added attractions of tempting shops, restaurants and pubs.

It was a ten mile drive to Ilminster from Taunton and the hotel was easy to locate

A warm welcome with afternoon tea and cakes awaited us and first impressions were most favourable .