The Francigena way
A suggestive stretch of the Via Francigena in winter dress, between Cassio and Berceto.
This is a route that needs no introduction, it is probably the most famous and renowned historical route that crosses our Apennines. It is over three thousand kilometers from Canterbury to Rome, in our province, coming from the north, it passes through Fidenza to follow the direction of the Via Emilia and flank the course of the Taro to follow it up to Fornovo, from where the road began to climb along the so-called Via di Monte Bardone, towards the Cisa pass, which in ancient times was not where the current state road is, but was located on the saddle of Mount Valoria, and from there it then descended into Tuscany and then down to Rome.
To cross the river there were no bridges, the ancient "Roman" bridge had been swept away by the flood, even today some spikes can be seen emerging from the riverbed. In Fornovo, in the Middle Ages, a company of monks from Altopascio operated as a hospital (the "via dei barcaioli" still exists in Altopascio), they dedicated themselves to ferrying people from one bank of the river to the other, and to the construction and maintenance of bridges, as well as offering assistance and hospitality to pilgrims. They were probably the ones who built the first stone bridge, which did not last long. When the season allowed, the river could be forded on foot, in some areas, such as around Giarola, the easiest crossing points were indicated.
What remains of the ancient bridge over the Taro, defined by some as "Roman" but more probably from the medieval era, built by the Hospitallers of Altopascio
The original route of the route is uncertain, and as already written in the introduction of the page, in ancient times the trade and communication routes were not to be understood as today, as precise and well-defined roads, but were a set of many alternative routes that led to a common destination, so probably there never even existed a "road" as we understand it today, but many more or less parallel variants.
Recently a new variant has been inaugurated and traced, with appropriate signs, that leads to Fornovo starting from Parma and that runs on the first hills of the Taro Valley, passing by the castle of Segalara. Let's hope it is something that has been taken care of over time, too many times I have seen beautiful initiatives left to fall into oblivion, literally swallowed up by brambles.
One thing that I consider not very honorable for such a famous historical route is the lack of alternatives to asphalt in some places: I often see tourists and pilgrims, especially foreigners, walking under the scorching August sun on boiling asphalt, on the side of the road, on the main roads, with trucks whizzing by just a hand's breadth from people: it's really a bad calling card for our territory!
The route crosses a territory that perhaps does not have great spectacular attractions, but it is a very pleasant, interesting, rich and varied route, all to be discovered with the right spirit, beauty is not necessarily spectacularization, and today with all the heavenly images that the web has accustomed us to, we have lost a lot in terms of sensitivity and attention, perhaps we should take a few steps back, and rediscover a more "inner" route, where the landscape adapts to its own rhythms and there are many things to discover and savor, but they are hidden from the most superficial gaze of the hit-and-run tourist. Beauty is also a value that must be earned, with attention and dedication.
Detail of the church of Bardone in Val Sporzana
Interesting deviations from the route, which are worth seeing, are the Salti del Diavolo, easily reachable from Cassio, and the Groppi Rossi, an interesting and spectacular rocky ridge, which on foot becomes a challenging deviation, but it is possible to reach it by deviating from the main route after Berceto and then rejoining the ridge and returning to Cisa. The Taro River Park, in the area between Giarola and Oppiano, is also undoubtedly worth a visit, offering very fascinating natural landscapes, although the summer period is the least suitable for appreciating their beauty, and the Carrega woods on the hills of Collecchio. I would not miss a trip to the top of Mount Prinzera, especially in case of fog in the valley, a magnificent panoramic balcony over the surrounding valleys and the Po Valley.
Boundary marker between the Duchy of Parma and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany dated 1820, on the ridge near the Sella del Valoria, the ancient transit pass before the construction of the modern Cisa pass road.
Official page of the route
