2024: the Via Francigena meets the ancient Salt Road
Starting from September 7, 2024, cyclists will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a journey of discovery, embracing the true essence of Tuscany. Along the way, they will find enchanting villages nestled in the hills, quiet valleys, sinuous vineyards and a precious wealth of unforgettable experiences.
The lesser-known pearls often turn out to be real jewels
of the journey: places not yet touched by mass tourism, where life flows with its authentic rhythm. Here culture, history and hospitality come together.
This cycling experience is not only about pedaling: it is an encounter with Tuscany in its purest state.
It is an adventure that invites you to get lost in the less traveled roads,
To immerse yourself in the tranquility of rural landscapes and to connect with the locals, opening windows on centuries-old traditions
and fascinating stories.
In this cycling journey, every stop is a new chapter
and surprising. It is an invitation to explore, discover and embrace
the unexpected beauty of this land, where every corner contains a secret to reveal, a memory to keep.
The Via Francigena is the most important cultural itinerary made famous by the description of the places that Sigerico, archbishop
of Canterbury, he made on his journey to Rome in the year 990.
There is no doubt that the stretch from Lucca to Siena
be one of the richest in history and beauty of the entire ancient Via Francigena journey.
The route that connects the two famous cities of art allows
To the traveler to discover the true nature of Tuscany, alternating his gaze between the green hills, the dense woods, the abbeys, the churches and the ancient villages still rich in identity.
The encounter with a stretch of the Via del Sale, which leads from San Gimignano
And the 'lagoni' of Volterra led to the sea with loaded mules
Of the precious food, enriches the journey and makes it even more
more fascinating.
2025: the Via Francigena meets the Via Lauretana and the Romea Senese
To meet the Via Lauretana, an ancient road that insists on an Etruscan-Roman route, the traveler, starting from Monteriggioni, takes a long tour south of Siena until he touches the lands of Ghino di Tacco in Radicofani and follows a stretch of the ancient Reclamation Trail, the Fossombroni. Landscapically, it is a tribute to the beauty of the Crete Senesi, the Val d'Orcia and the Valdichiana of the “White Giant”, but it is also the encounter with the vineyards that generate wines appreciated everywhere in the world. After caressing the Brunello vineyards, in Montepulciano, home of the Nobile, you take the stretch of Via Lauretana Toscana and then meet the Chianti and follow the Via Romea Sanese route to San Casciano Val di Pesa and finally return to Monteriggioni. Dante Alighieri is the master since these are the sites of the famous battles between the Guelph Florence and the Ghibelline Siena. Both ancient streets, the Lauretana and the Romea Sanese, joining the Via Francigena, were formerly populated by artists, merchants, pilgrims and brigands of all kinds.
2026: the Via Francigena meets the sea
Once again, the important stretch of the Via Francigena that leads from Lucca to Volterra but which then bends towards the sea through the Devil's Valley and the fumaroles of the Metalliferous Hills, the warm heart of Tuscany. The traces of Etruscan, Roman and medieval civilizations are present throughout the route that, for a while, bends south to kiss the Maremma sea and then go up in the direction of Livorno, Cecina and Pisa. The fortresses, castles and churches dot a fascinating and complex landscape mosaic rich in badlands, whitewater, forests and clear streams that counterpoint the bubbling geysers and the footprints left by ancient silver and copper mines. On the coast, sections of the Tyrrhenian cycle path accompany the traveler to the landing of the San Rossore Park.
2027: the Via Francigena, the Via Lauretana and the Via di Francesco
Another start of the journey from the walls of Monteriggioni to the Crete and the Valdichiana. The Via Lauretana this time is followed for a stretch in the opposite direction to the previous journey and this allows you to connect to Via di Francesco from Arezzo until you reach the destination of the Saint of the Poor: Chiusi della Verna and its famous Sanctuary. The Casentino woods, the Alpe della Luna, the churches, the castles scattered along the route and the suggestive villages of Sansepolcro, Pieve Santo Stefano and Caprese Michelangelo, characterize part of the itinerary that Saint Francis traveled on foot from Assisi to the Sanctuary of La Verna. Finally, the return from Valdambra allows you to gradually approach the Via Francigena, touching the Chianti and the Via Romea Sanese.
