2. Altopascio to San Miniato (Stage 29)
Friday 6th October 2023
| Distance |
Time |
Elevation in meters |
Km |
Elapsed
Hrs-Mins |
Moving
Hrs-Mins |
Gain |
Loss |
Min |
Max |
| 30.83 |
8H08 |
6H11 |
390 |
262 |
10 |
153 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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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 "
Early morning departure from Hotel Paola. A hundred meters down the road you cross a railway crossing and then under a motorway bridge to enter the town proper. The "VisitTuscany" website says that "Altopascio is now an important municipality in the Lucca area. Its unique position as the point at which many roads converge made it particularly famous in the Middle Ages, still remaining a defining characteristic of the town". My take on this is that Altopascio is severely blighted by heavy traffic, which is why the Hotel Paola does not use its front entrance on the main road and why there is a deep rumbling sound of lorries passing by during the night. Take the traffic away and Altopascio would be a nice place! |
The train from Lucca
Altopascio Station
Altopascio main street, leading to the chapel
Chiesa San Rocco
The route out of Altopascio goes to the right of Chiesa San Roccol, and this leads you to a small roundabout. At this roundabout you need to make sure that you take the Fucecchio road, which is basically straight on. I was careless and noticed red and white signs going to the right, and it was only after a couple of hundred meters that I realized they said "Ippo Via Francigena" i.e. this was the way for people on horseback! The Fucecchio road goes straight for a couple of kilometers until it reaches a very large roundabout; here you go to the right and find the path that splits off to the left through woods. |
A dead straight section that goes for almost 2 km to the large roundabout on the outskirts of town
Leaving Altopascio at the large roundabout, taking the road to the right
Peeling off to the left from the road towards woods
At last, a bar where I could get a cappuccino and a croissant! Bar C'era Una Volta
Galleno.... another chance for a coffee
Alternating between stretches on roads and stretches through woods
Mario, a lady from Finland, up ahead of me
Back in to woods
Ponte a Cappiano
The path leading away from Ponte a Cappiano towards San Miniato
Coming in to Fucecchio
Many steps to climb to the centre of Fucecchio
View over Fucecchio
Poggio Salamartano
Chiesa Collegiata di San Giovanni Battista e Monasterio di San Salvatore
Piazza V. Veneto
San Miniato up ahead..... and a big climb!
Leaving San Miniato Basso for the big climb to San Miniato
The lift to bring you up the last few meters from the car park
The zig-zag path leading up to San Miniato. The tower to the left is an elevator bringing you up to
the town level from the zig-zag path and the car park below.
A Gelateria AND a sign pointing to the hotel. I like this place already!
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and San Genesio
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta e San Genesio, the cathedral of San Miniato, was built in the 12th century,possibly on the ruins of an older chapel. Originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it was mentioned for the first time in 1195 in a note from Pope Celestine III. When the Lombardic town which stretched to the foot of San Miniato was destroyed in 1248, Santa Maria acquired the baptismal font and the title of San Genesio. When the building was renovated,the façade was decorated with ceramic basins– like those in the finest buildings in Pisa.
In the 15th century the church was expanded and the large bell tower was built, known as the Torre di Matilde, because according to legend Matilde di Canossa was born in the adjacent Palazzo del Vicari. The façade is prominent with a brick masonry wall, inside which there are 26 decorated ceramic basins, outstanding for their elegance and originality. In the lower part, there are three 16th-century sandstone portals.
www.visittuscany.com |
Torre di Frederico
The Rocca di Federico II, a tower built around 1220 on the orders of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, is the symbol of San Miniato. The tower is famous for having been the prison where Pier delle Vigne was held, the loyal secretary to the emperor mentioned in Dante’s Divine Comedy. The structure was destroyed during World War II and carefully rebuilt in 1956. |
Accommodation
Hotel San Miniato
Lounge
Breakfast Bar
|
