The whole Via Francigena del Sud: from Rome to Leuca

Welcome to Roma

Welcome to the Eternal City, welcome to Rome!
Today begins your journey on foot along the entire Via Francigena in the South. An itinerary that will make you retrace the steps of the ancient pilgrims who headed towards the Holy Land. But above all, it is a journey that will take you across the whole of southern Italy to Santa Maria di Leuca, de finibus terrae, among the typical smells and flavors of the south.

From Castel Gandolfo to Velletri

22 km

Today's stage still retains that solemnity proper to the first wayfarers.
Past the ancient village of Castel Gandolfo, home of the Papal Palace, you will reach Albano Laziale with its imposing Porta Pretoria, the Sepulchre of the Horatii and Curiazi, and the Baths of Caracalla. From here you will move towards Nemi, considered since ancient times a sacred place because it is home to the temple of Diana. After the homonymous Lake, a long descent will take you to the gates of Velletri, a city linked to the Urbe but with strongly Renaissance features such as the defensive system sealed by the Neapolitan Gate.

From Cori to Sermoneta

19 km

Leaving behind the Roman Cori, you will arrive in Norma at the end of a path with the backdrop of the Pontine plain. The ancient Norba is said to have been founded at the beginning of the 5th century B.C. to constitute a stronghold in the Pontine territory. Along the way you will meet the Abbey of Valvisciolo dedicated to Saints Peter and Stephen, but what makes it unique in the world is the presence of an ancient graffiti with the magical palindrome SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS.
Arrival at Sermoneta, a medieval village that can be visited through a path that allows walkers to admire the city along its imposing walls.

From Sezze to the Abbey of Fossanova

21 km

A pleasant descent takes you to Priverno, an ancient town rebuilt by the Romans, today a valuable example of a medieval village guarded by the ancient walls from which stands the Castle of San Martino, home to the Museum of Mathematics.
Leave the village and follow the course of the river that will lead you to the Abbey of Fossanova, a valuable historical and cultural example but above all a remarkable point of interest for art historians because it is a manifesto of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic.

From Terracina to Fondi

22 km

From the Cathedral of San Cesareo in Terracina you will follow a suggestive panoramic path towards Fondi, which sometimes presents the ancient paving of the Via Appia, while, on the natural frame of the Park of Monti Ausoni, you will arrive in the charming Monastery of San Magno which preserves a wonderful cycle of frescoes on the life of San Benedetto.
Fondi, cited by Pliny the Elder for its extraordinary wine production, still preserves the remains of an ancient prestige in Roman times as evidenced by the monumental Baths and the Amphitheater, recently found during an important excavation campaign.

From Itri to Formia

22 km

On this stage you return to overlook the sea crossing Gaeta, a particularly important center for Virgil and Dante Aligheri. The main monuments of the city are concentrated on the spur of Monte Orlando, with the Angevin Castle overlooking the sea and the entire coast.
Then continue to Formia, the arrival city of the tenth stage, told by Homer in his Odyssey. Particularly noteworthy are the Roman Amphitheater and the Tomb of Cicero, a monumental mausoleum commissioned by Augustus.

From Minturno to Sessa Aurunca

25 km

Between small hamlets and cultivated fields you will cross the forest of Monte Ofelio. Once you arrive in the ancient medieval village of Castelforte you will be delighted: its mighty walls enclose the suggestive Church of Santa Maria in Pensulis and the ancient spa area, already known at the time of the historian Pliny.

From Teano to Pietramelara

17 km

The stage is almost entirely on asphalt but full of small hamlets waiting to be discovered which will take you on a beautiful journey into the past.
Riardo, with its Lombard castle, is the first village you pass through immediately after leaving Teano. While Pietramelara, where you will stay, comes immediately after. Its narrow streets develop around the imposing Lombard tower. Cacioforte, or here called casuforte, a mature goat's cheese produced by a few local families with traditional, totally manual processing, is typical in these areas.

From Alife to Faicchio

20 km

The stage winds along suggestive and fascinating country roads to arrive, almost without realizing it, at the Norman Castle of Gioia Sannitica which dominates the surrounding valley. After passing the imposing city walls, in the shadow of the mighty square tower, you will reach the town of Faicchio. Worth seeing here is the Quinto Fabio Massimo Bridge which dates back to the Republican age.

From Telese Terme to Vitulano

16 km

The differences in altitude make this stage more challenging which takes you from the sulphurous water springs to Solopaca, famous for its DOC wines and the beautiful Mother Church of the Holy Body of Christ. The church still retains the considerable bell tower with strong lines designed by the famous Campania architect Luigi Vanvitelli, famous for having designed the stupendous Royal Palace of Caserta.
Continuing through the cool avenues you arrive at Vitulano which overlooks an area of the regional park. The origins of the ancient town are uncertain even if the oldest building is the Convent of the Santissima Annunziata, founded in the 1400s.

From Benevento to Buonalbergo

24 km

The ghost village of Paduli separates the beginning and end of this stage. Although the village is no longer half inhabited, it still retains particular monuments, such as the Mother Church of San Bartolomeo, which are very interesting to visit. Today's journey ends in Buonalbergo, whose name derives from the strong sense of hospitality of its inhabitants. Certainly interesting to see are the bridge of Le Chianche built by Emperor Trajan and the Church of San Carlo Borromeo.

From Celle di San Vito to Troia

18 km

Leave the Campania region to land in the Tavoliere (plain) delle Puglie. In this famous territory known in the past as the "granary of Italy", it is interesting to visit the town of Troia, home to 4 Councils in the 12th century. The historic center is dominated by the Cathedral, an extraordinary example of the fusions of styles and civilizations that have alternated in these latitudes. Of great importance is the first Hospital del Cammino, inserted in the monumental building of the former Convent of San Domenico, and destined to become an essential point of reference in the 'construction' of the Via Francigena of the South.

From Castelluccio dei Sauri to Ordona

20 km

Immense expanses of fields accompany you to today's destination, Ordona, once a Roman city. The remains of ancient Herdonia, defined as the "Pompeii of Puglia", came to light during archaeological excavations in the 1960s and it is hoped it will soon become an Archaeological Park.

From Stornara to Cerignola

18 km

The destination city of today's stage, Cerignola, still preserves a Roman milestone, a limestone column located along the ancient route of the Via Traiana.
The reason why Puglia was defined as the granary of Italy can also be understood by visiting the Piano delle Fosse Granarie: more than 600 bell-shaped cavities used by farmers to store grain.

From Canosa di Puglia to Andria

25 km

Immersed in the DOP Terra area of Bari where one of the most prized extra virgin olive oil is produced, you will arrive in Andria welcomed by its thousand-year-old olive trees. Worth visiting once you arrive in the city is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta where the relic of the Sacred Thorn of the Crown of Jesus is preserved.

From Corato to Ruvo di Puglia

13 km

Still accompanied by the splendid centuries-old olive trees, arrive in Ruvo di Puglia which preserves some of the most important collections of Greek and local ceramics inside the Jatta National Archaeological Museum. Unmissable are the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built on an underground structure, and not far away, the Church of Purgatory.

From Bitonto to Bari

22 km

Arrival in the Apulian capital, a cultural center rich in an evocative artistic and architectural heritage, such as the Basilica of San Nicola, a pilgrimage destination since the Middle Ages, whose passage represents almost an obligatory route. Not to be missed is the imposing Petruzzelli Theatre, located not far from the Cathedral of San Sabino.

From Mola di Bari to Monopoli

30 km

One of the most incredible stages on the Apulian coast because it unfolds against the backdrop of a crystalline sea, with the evocative Coast of Trulli to strike a chord with every pilgrim.
The passage from Polignano a Mare offers an unmissable coastal balcony overlooked by the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. Linked to its port is the ancient town of Monopoli, and for this reason the main hub for crusaders and pilgrims who were fascinated by the beauty of the alleys of the historic centre, today enriched by the Carlo V Castle, Palazzo Martinelli and the Old Port.

From Savelletri to Torre Canne

10 km

Pleasantly surrounded stage on the plain of centuries-old olive trees which preserves the highest concentration of specimens of thousand-year-old olive trees in the Mediterranean. We then continue to Torre Canne, a famous seaside resort due to the great therapeutic virtues of its thermal springs.

From Torre Santa Sabina to Brindisi

32 km

A stage that offers the opportunity to visit the Torre Guaceto State Nature Reserve which includes an 8 km stretch of coast on which stands the largest watchtower in the entire ancient Land of Otranto. The arrival in Brindisi marks a suggestive crossroads because it was the ancient entrance to the Via Appia, whose passage is sanctioned by the imposing Roman columns. Among the alleys of the historic center you can admire the majestic Church of Santa Maria del Casale and the small temple of San Giovanni al Sepolcro.

From Torchiarolo to Lecce

23 km

The route is enriched by the suggestive passage from the Abbey of Santa Maria di Cerrate, where you can admire wonderful Byzantine frescoes, as well as the ancient oven and the underground oil mill.
Lecce will welcome you in all the beauty of its baroque. A passage through the historic center becomes a tale of styles that have exalted the Lecce stone and the magnificent Basilica of Santa Croce is the highest example of this. The Charles V Castle then represents the symbol of Spanish dominion in the city, while the papacy and the link with Rome is clearly visible in the Cathedral of Maria Santissima Assunta and the Church of Saints Niccolò and Cataldo.

From Vernole to Carpignano

17 km

A stage with a high symbolic value awaits you today. In fact, you will walk in the heart of Grecìa Salentina, crossing the charming town of Martano, to continue on the traces of an ancient cart road that will take you to the gates of Carpignano Salentino. This small village houses an incredible Hypogean Sanctuary known for the oldest Byzantine frescoes in Puglia.

From Otranto to Vignacastrisi

24 km

The beauty of nature regaining its spaces is clearly visible in the suggestive Bauxite Lake, while the Abbey of San Nicola di Casole still offers, after many years, that magical flavor of the history that has passed through here. Castro and Vignacastrisi are both linked by an epic past. Grotta Romanelli, Grotta Zinzulusa and Grotta dei Cervi are among the most important prehistoric sites in Europe.

From Tricase to Leuca

21 km

Welcoming you on this last stage is the Sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, which today appears as a fortified structure after the many attacks suffered by the Saracens. But every traveller's gaze will be attracted by the majestic lighthouse, the second highest in Europe, which you can also climb to admire the waves crashing on the cliffs of this last strip of land, the landing place of the Via Francigena in the South.