10. Radicofani to Aquapendente (Stage 37)
Sunday 15th October 2023
| Distance |
Time |
Elevation in meters |
Km |
Elapsed
Hrs-Mins |
Moving
Hrs-Mins |
Gain |
Loss |
Min |
Max |
| 24.35 |
6H26 |
4H56 |
302 |
706 |
247 |
792 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Via Centeno route; alternative Via Proceno is 31.7km with 600m gain and 780m loss
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Courtesy of www.gronze.com
Courtesy of Garmin
Original map courtesy of "The Via Francigena Terre De Mezzo by Roberta Ferraris "
Quite misty and a little chilly as I left Radicofani for Acquapendente
Borgo La Novella
In 1200 A.D. Borgo La Novella was an ancient post station where the horses were changed to face the climb towards Radicofani fortress. Next to the post office, now transformed into a manor house with 9 bedrooms, there was once an the "inn", where travellers and pilgrims found refreshment. The church, adjacent to the inn,Santa Maria di Villa Novula, dates back to the year 1000 A.D. and belonged to the abbey of Monte Amiata, San Salvatore. It was subsequently consecrated to S. Antonio Abate, protector of animals. On the other side of the road which constitutes the Via Francigena is an old oven dating back to 1500 A.D. |
Nice facilities for pilgrims
The bridge "Ponte a Rigo"
Left for the normal route to Acquapendente; right for the deviation via Proceno.
From this point at Ponte a Rigo the path follows the SR2 and there is a lot of tarmac
walking, some of it quite exposed.
Path beside the SR2 in some places
Passing into Lazio. One pilgrim I spoke to said that the sign was not necessary; the minute you
entered Lazio the amount of rubbish and litter increased dramatically!
Just before Acquapendente there was a small shack on the left hand side selling refreshments. I could not see any pilgrims there and was going to pass it by, but I noticed that they had a sign for a "Timbro". I stopped. There were several pilgrims there, but not visible from the road; Henny, (The Netherlands), Mike (Montreal, Canada), Donal (Belfast). |
The last climb in to Acquapendente, followed by Mike (Montreal, Canada)
The Basilica of The Holy Sepulchre
Torre Julia de Jacopo
The courageous gesture of the girl Julia, Julia de Jacopo in 1550, who during an attack of the Pitigliano troops of Nicola IV Orsini ran to close the door left open by the soldiers on guard, and saved the city. It was the door of the Holy Sepulcher, one of the main entrances of the city. An important stage where hundreds of pilgrim returning from the Holy Land used to stop. A historical monument of the city, its original nucleus was formed by only the main body now facing the town, a high quadrangular tower used for defense and enemy sighting. During the Renaissance the quadrangular body was cut off and the front body was built with a hexagonal plan, with a walkway, a trap, a sharpshooter, which served as a defensive measure. Today it is the seat of the City Hall, it houses the tourist office and on the upper floor the section of the City Museum dedicated to the precious medieval ceramics found in the excavations of the ancient Aquesian drainage. |
Accommodation
Casa Girolamo
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