Via Francigena

Now, just a few words about the Via Francigena, probably the most ancient road in Europe in the Middle Ages, from the north to the Mediterranean.
The ancient consular road, the Cassia, was further to the East and was still under Byzantine rule, whereas via Francigena was more westerly and was used by the pilgrims who went to Rome from the North, through Tuscia. It might seem unrealistic to follow this itinerary today. In fact, even in totally or partially urbanized areas, the "sign" wins; past churches, isolated abbeys, monasteries, old hospitals and old road pavements, the road of the pilgrims of a thousand years ago comes back from the past, reviving old cultures and traditions. Among the uncountable pilgrims on the Via Francigena, some - very few - have left us a journal. Among these, abbot Sigerico from Canterbury who, in a document dated 990 which is now at the British Library in London, divided the journey from Rome to Canterbury into 79 stages. Along this road people brought cultures and languages belonging to the widest community of the Medieval West.
Even now you can find fragments and memories of the itineraries which were at the basis of European history. This road has brought with it the spirit of the elements of a "unity in diversity" which has contributed so much to the creation of today's cultural identity.