Intro - Our Pilgrimage to Canterbury Historically, Canterbury Cathedral has been the destination for pilgrims, notably chronicled in the Canterbury Tales. Saint Thomas Becket’s martyrdom has drawn thousands of pilgrims over the centuries who travel to Canterbury to venerate the saint. He was the archbishop in the 12th century. We were drawn to Canterbury by another archbishop, some 200 years earlier, Archbishop Sigeric the Serious. Instead of completing our pilgrimage in Canterbury, we started ours there. The Via Francigena.  Our Pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral, we made it! Saint ..read more

The Holy Relics of Saint Jude Yesterday, we were blessed to be able to see the Holy Relics of Saint Jude, the patron Saint of Impossible causes.  His arm bone fragments are currently on tour through the US, and it made a stop in our town.  The event was well-run and inspirational. We highly recommend it if the tour comes to a town near you.  The main attraction is the reliquary holding his arm bones. The reliquary looks like it is giving a blessing. A fragment of his arm is enclosed.  The reliquary holding arm bone relics of Saint Jude. Who was Saint Jude? Saint Jude ..read more

Why Compare the Camino to the Via Francigena? Perhaps you are considering a walking pilgrimage in Europe and want to decide between the Camino de Santiago and the Via Francigena. Or, maybe you are a Camino veteran and want to see how the Via Francigena compares. We have finished both and wanted to share this comparison.  Teddy Roosevelt once said that “comparison is the thief of joy”. We present this comparison through the categories below as a way to help decide, not as a competition.  Adventure Hike The Camino de Santiago and the Via Francigena are two of the most important wa ..read more

VISITING THE SAVIOR Laura’s Log Apartment with a View We arrived in Oviedo in the evening to settle in at “Wamba Studio”.  Our apartment was named after the bell of the nearby and totally MAGNIFICENT Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Salvador (St. Savior Cathedral) which was built in the 8th century.  With a view of the bell tower aglow in the setting sun, we instantly fell in love with our modern comfortable little pad.     Evening view from our apartment named after the Cathedral Bell. Hispano-Flemish Gothic Cathedral entrance. Hispano-Flemish Gothic ..read more

The best time for the Via Francigena? Go when you can! When is the best time for the Via Francigena?  Go when you can!   The movie, The Way, staring Martin Sheen has inspired many pilgrims. One scene that really inspired us was when Tom (Sheen’s character) asked the albergue hostess (Angelica) if she had ever walked the Camino. She replied, “No. Earlier in life I was too busy, now I’m too old”.  Martin Sheen as Tom in "The Way". Angela Molina as Angelica in "The Way". As soon as I saw that interaction, I booked our flights.  Earlier in life, there was no way I co ..read more

The Sacred Nail of Colle di Val d'Elsa The Duomo at Colle di Val d’Elsa has a holy relic, the Sacred Nail, which is supposedly one of the nails that held Jesus on the Cross. We were able to see the chapel where the nail is stored.  The nail is put on display on the second Sunday of September at the Festival of the Sacred Nail.  Chapel of the Sacred Nail. Symbology of the Pelican On our way out of town, we stopped in the Chiesa di S. Marziale and saw the stained glass window with a pelican feeding its young.  We saw this symbol many times, often in carvings. The pelican i ..read more

Sigerico stayed here. The Best Apps for the Via Francigena We kept saying a joke until it became an old joke, “How did Sigeric make it to Rome without these apps?”   We tried many apps during the Via Francigena (VF) and found these to work the best for us. These apps helped us plan the overall pilgrimage, plan our daily stage, keep us on the proper track, and find a place to stay each night. We are highlighting the best of the apps that worked for us.  Planning Apps for the Via Francigena We did two kinds of planning, before-the-trip planning and daily planning during the pilgrim ..read more

Taking the Variant to Colle Val d'Elsa We planned plenty of time for our Via Francigena, so we could enjoy our time on the pilgrimage and enjoy the towns that we encountered. Our targeted average walk was 16 Km (or 10 miles).  Of course, it wasn’t possible to walk exactly 16 Km every day, that depended on the location of the towns.  This day, our decision was easy. We could take the variant through Colle di Val d’Elsa, which would be a 13 Km day, or we could go all the way to Monteriggioni at 30 Km (19 miles). We decided to split the stage into 2 days.  That was a fantastic de ..read more

Sanctuary of Santa Maria in Pancole, Italy The Sanctuary of Santa Maria in Pancole, Italy was a treat to find on our Via Francigena walk from Gambassi Terme.   This church was founded on the location where a mute girl saw a vision of The Virgin, who healed her condition and helped her family.  In 1944, the German army destroyed the church, but the Piero Francesco Fiorentino fresco “Nursing Madonna” survived, and is featured to this day.  The post Via Francigena: Gambassi Terme to San Gimignano appeared first on The Hallowed Way ..read more

A long walk without services During this long walk, we had plenty of time to talk. One topic that kept coming up was comparing the Via Francigena to the Camino de Santiago.  Today’s walk illustrated one difference, the VF tends to have longer walks between villages with any services.  On the Camino, it seemed like there were open bars/shops in every hamlet.  This day, we walked 15 miles with just one closed church that had a water fountain. Its mandatory to plan ahead and bring food if necessary.  The post Via Francigena: San Miniato to Gambassi Terme appeared first on ..read more