Originally I planned to walk the Via degli Dei solo making all of the arrangements myself, and did a great deal of planning. This was to be part of a three week walk i.e. Bologna to Florence, Florence to La Verna and La Verna to Assisi. La Verna is of great significance in the life of Saint Francis of Assisi and I have long wished to visit the Sanctuary there.
In the course of my researches I became aware of "Appenion Slow" (www.appenninoslow.it), a small tour company based in Bologna who have for more than 10 years been active in the promotion and management of the Via degli Dei ("The Way of The Gods"). Not only do Appennino Slow make all the arrangements for self-guided tours, they also offer guided tours throughout the year. Apart from Via Degli Dei, they offer "Wool and Seta Street tour (Bologna to Prato), Walk of St. Francis (Rimini to La Verna) and Medica Street (Prato to Fucecchio).
Appennino Slow describe the Via Degli Dei as:-
"Monte Adone, Monte Venere, Monzuno and Monte Luario: four areas in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines with clear signs of a thriving Roman culture, which identified them as the ideal location for the construction of the Via Flaminia Militare, an important communication route between Bologna and Florence, which at the time were already two major urban centers in the Roman Empire.
Today this ancient Italian road has become La Via degli Dei (The Path of Gods), a 130km route from Piazza Maggiore (Bologna) to Piazza della Signoria (Florence) divided into different stages depending on timing and capabilities, it can also be done in e-bike with one of our certified guides.
The Via degli Dei runs from the hills of Bologna to the green slopes of the Mugello Valley, crossing forgotten places and discovering the small treasures hidden in the Apennines, witnesses of an extraordinary history.
A journey through the history of religion visiting abbeys and convents, ancient history walking on the remains of the Via Flaminia Militare or the paths of the Contrafforte Pilocenico, modern history among the Medici Villas, contemporary history in the silence of the Futa Pass and the hotspots along the Gothic Line - World War II, in the uncontaminated nature of the natural oasis for the protection of the flora and fauna, between legends and curiosities."
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