From the Via Francigena to the ancient Via degli Abati, and from the Via Matildica del Volto Santo to the Via di Linari with Visit Emilia. This is the authentic Emilia to be experienced on foot, rewarding travellers and hikers willing to leave behind the frenzy of the city to immerse themselves in history, nature, culture, food and wine. These great historical paths have been travelled by many thousands of pilgrims over the centuries, crossing the Apennines, passing through the UNESCO Biosphere and invoke the atmosphere of the region’s ancient fiefdoms.
The Via Francigena led pilgrims to Rome
One of the most popular routes for travellers of all ages is the Via Francigena, which runs through the heart of the Apennines in the provinces of Piacenza and Parma. The Via degli Abati is an ancient medieval route followed by the monks of the monastery of San Colombano di Bobbio, in the province of Piaena, on their way to Rome.
Rewarding journeys along a network of trails
The network of trails along ancient medieval routes that constitutes the heart of the Via Matildica del Volto Santo (the Matildic Way of the Holy Face) is an opportunity to exercise both body and mind as you imagine the atmosphere of the fiefdom of Countess Matilda di Canossa, from her magnificent castles to her villages. This was a route of commercial passage and an alternative pilgrimage path to reach Rome and Lucca and today is a rewarding journey rich in nature, art, fine food and wine.
