September 5, 2024
So when the day comes to settle down
Who’s to blame if you’re not around?
You took the long way home
Lyrics from “Take the Long Way Home” by Supertramp
During our first 13 stages of the Via Francigena we trekked 157 miles from Montreux, Switzerland to Santhia, Italy. We were treated to stunning scenery and history as we ascended to the border of Switzerland and Italy at the Great St. Bernard Pass. After trekking down through the Aosta Valley and the foothills of the Italian Alps, we reached the edge of the agricultural Po Valley.
The next 10 stages and 144 miles of our Via Francigena hike would be through this fertile area. On the one hand we were looking forward to some flat, fast terrain. But we knew that we would experience some of the hottest temperatures (in the 90°s F) on our entire 700-mile trek. For these reasons, some Via Francigena trekkers skip these sections, either because of the combination of heat and humidity or because hiking through endless farmland is “too boring.” Similar to other Camino trails. hikers only need to complete the last 100 kilometers (62 miles) to officially finish and collect a certificate. But we decided to “take the long way to Rome” and trek this section anyway.
Through the Land of Rice and Corn with a Harrowing Trail Variant
After our four-day break in the Italian Riviera and Monaco, we took a train back to the city of Santhia. The next morning we were ready to begin walking in the Po Valley.
Our 16.8-mile stage took us primarily through rice fields. It was a hot day (mid 80°s F), with no shade, but we enjoyed the peaceful scenery as we hiked. Our only breaks from the crops came from the trains occasionally passing by and in the two small villages we hiked through.
Irrigation canals criss-cross the fields, and gates can be opened and closed to flood the rice paddies. As we walked next to the flooded fields we were ready for mosquitoes. We had brought head nets and bug spray just for this section. Other hikers who had come through a few weeks ago had complained of clouds of bugs. Fortunately, it was a little later in the summer, so we didn’t have any issues.
One village, San Germano Vercelese, had a beautiful church that we took time to explore.
Church at San Germano Vercelese
The warm weather and our fast pace on the flatter ground caused some hot spots and potential blisters, so we stopped to tighten our shoes and tape our feet.
With all the water it was nice to see a variety of birds as we walked.
Occasionally we needed to cross the irrigation canals on bridges.
Hiking in the heat has always been difficult for me. I have even experienced heat exhaustion while trekking. So I tried to come prepared for the challenges of this section. With higher temperatures in the afternoon, I changed to a wide brim hat to provide a little more shade on my face. I also resorted to dampening my shirt with some water to stay cool.
The Via Francigena has many variants, and in creating our route, we made almost daily decisions on the best trail for us to hike. During this stage there was a choice between a road walk or a field alternative. Choosing the fields, we were almost all the way through the variant, when we came to a turn with a private property sign and a hand-written “No Via Francigena” note attached to it. We didn’t want to turn around and hike all the way back to the variant fork in the heat, so we decided to keep walking.
As we hiked we thought we heard a voice. Then we heard a sound that Darren said sounded like a shotgun. It wasn’t anywhere near us, but close enough to cause concern. We could see the end of the alternative path ahead of us, so we broke into a jog to quickly cover the ground. Back on the main trail, we discussed being a little more careful about using trail alternates in the future.
Soon after, we arrived in the city of Vercelli. It is called “The Rice Capital of Europe,” with rice crops dating from the Renaissance era. Our hotel was located just around the corner from the beautiful Piazza Cavour in the center of the city.
After our first stage of Po Valley trekking, the subsequent days were more of the same. We set out for a 15.4-mile day with the path running on the top of a flat dyke, above the rice, so we made good time for our first seven miles to the village of Palestro. Just before reaching Palestro we left the region of Piedmont and entered Lombardy.
Back in the fields, we had to contend with over a mile of extremely overgrown and slippery conditions. Vines wrapped around our ankles, making it easy to trip and fall if we weren’t careful. It was frustrating and slowed our progress in the heat.
There was a makeshift rest area under a lone tree at the end of the section. As we sat there and ate a snack, an Irish hiker appeared. He had started the Via Francigena all the way back in Canterbury, England. Wiping blood from his leg, he told us that the overgrown area was one of the worst sections of trail he had experienced the entire time.
Making slow progress through the overgrown area
After we got back on more solid footing, we continued to the town of Robbio, passing by its 12th century Church of San Pietro.
When we reached our Airbnb above a cafe in the village of Nicorvo, we sought out the Santuario Madonna del Patrocinio Church. It had a beautiful 16th century Madonna and child fresco behind the altar. Our Airbnb hosts were delightful and prepared some food for us, as the only village restaurant was closed that day.
The Santuario Madonna del Patrocinio Church
Hiking through the High Heat Index and Arriving in Pavia for a Rest Day
A long 17.4-mile stage the next day took us again through the rice paddies, now joined by occasional corn crops. Hiking through the fields reminded us of our time in rural Central California during our California Missions Trail trek. It was always a race each day to get up and leave as early as possible with the high heat and humidity in the forecast.
There were several towns and villages to hike through, including Mortara, with its beautiful 14th century brick Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Unfortunately we couldn’t go inside because a funeral was beginning.
Upon arriving in the town of Tromello in the early afternoon, a man on a bike approached us. As he spoke Italian, I could understand that he was asking if we were hiking the Via Francigena. When I nodded yes, he motioned us to follow him. We walked to the main piazza, where he disembarked and motioned us to give him our pilgrim passports so he could stamp them. After stamping our passports, he asked if we were British. When we told him we were Americans from California, he exclaimed, “Mamma Mia!” and put his hand to his heart.
Thanking him and waving goodbye, we were on our way again.
Walking in Tromello; following the man on his bike to get our stamp
We only had about three miles left in the stage, but it was the hottest day yet. Hiking in the hot weather day after day gave me a heat rash on both my legs between the knees and ankles, and it was getting increasingly uncomfortable. We kept moving to finish the stage and took several water breaks during the remaining distance.
Before we started the Via Francigena, Darren and I had an agreement to consider skipping a stage if the heat index (heat plus humidity) got over 100°F. When we finally finished our day in the town of Garlesco the heat index was 96°F.
During our next 15.6-mile day we took note of the terrain slowly changing from exclusively crops to a few trees and bushes. We were also greatly looking forward to a rest day at the end of the stage in the city of Pavia.
With the weather the same temperature and heat index as the previous day, we opted to walk a variant along a bike path instead of a meandering section of uneven path. The “bike path” ended up having car traffic as well, and with barely any shoulder, we had to really pay attention to our surroundings as we walked.
Toward the end of the stage we switched over to a shaded park path as we neared Pavia.
Finally, the first buildings of the city came into view from across the Ticino River.
We came to the Ponte Coperto bridge to cross over the river to the city.
Home of a renowned university, Pavia has a long history, beginning with its existence as a Roman military post in 218 BC.
One advantage of trekking on the flatter terrain was that we could hike as fast as three miles an hour. It also meant we could complete our stages earlier, beating the higher heat later in the day. We finished in Pavia at about 1:30 pm and couldn’t check into our reserved apartment until 3:00. So we headed to the main piazza and ordered a couple of beers and a large bottle of water to toast our hiking accomplishments over the previous four stages.
Leaving Pavia and Reaching the Po River for a Ride
We enjoyed our rest day in Pavia and were pleasantly surprised at the history that we saw during our brief stay. Since it was a Sunday, it limited our church visits, but we got to see the inside of the imposing Cathedral of Pavia. Its dome is the third-largest in Italy.
Pavia Cathedral
Later, we walked around the main campus of the University of Pavia. It was founded in 1361 and is recognized as one of the top universities in the world.
Views of the University of Pavia
We saw many other church exteriors, but were only able to venture inside the 16th century Church of Santa Maria di Canepanova. There, we saw frescoes depicting women of the Bible.
Church of Santa Maria di Canepanova
Reluctantly leaving Pavia the next morning, we got back on the Via Francigena for a short 10.5-mile day. There was some rain at the beginning, which made the hiking cooler than our previous stages.
The terrain continued changing from flat farmland to more trees and rolling hills.
Toward the end of the day we took a break next to the 15th century Church of San Giacomo before finishing our stage in the town of Belgioioso.
Taking a break next to the church
The next day was a daunting 17.6 miles that seemed shorter because of the variety of sites that we saw as we walked. The terrain featured rolling hills, which we had not consistently seen since leaving the foothills of the Alps. We also encountered some vineyards, which was a welcome change from the fields of rice and corn we had been walking through.
In the village of Santa Cristina e Bissone we came upon a plain 17th century church exterior that had a striking Baroque-style interior.
Church exterior and interior in Santa Cristina e Bissone
Later, we passed the Castello di Chignolo Po, which also dates from the 17th century. It has the nickname of “The Versailles of Lombardy.”
Accommodations were challenging in this section. We used a combination of B&Bs, hotels, and Airbnbs. In the town of Orio Litta the only option was a pilgrim hostel. So we decided to book beds at the facility managed by the town. It was in a renovated medieval building, and we slept in a double room in the building’s tower (with a shared bath downstairs). We had hoped to meet other hikers, but we were the only two staying there that night.
Our beds in the tower of the pilgrim hostel; Building exterior
We had a major milestone during the next stage: our arrival at the Po River, the longest river in Italy at 405 miles. There was a choice to travel the stage solely by foot or by a combination of walking and boating on the river. Sigeric the Serious, the Archbishop of Canterbury who inspired the current route, took a boat about 2.2 miles from one side of the Po to the other in 990 AD. So it has become traditional for Via Francigena hikers to do the same thing.
We chose to follow in Sigeric’s footsteps across the Po. First, we hiked about two miles to the Po River in the early morning.
At 8:30 am we met Danilo, who has been ferrying hikers across the river since 1998. After paying 10 Euros per person, we boarded, along with a hiking couple from New Zealand, and began the 2.2-mile trip.
After the crossing, we recorded our names in Danilo’s beautiful book, and got a custom stamp.
Cover of Danilo’s book; getting our custom stamp
Our trekking thus far through the Po Valley tested our physical and mental toughness, as we dealt with high temperatures and little shade through miles and miles of farmland. But we were glad that we took this “longer way” to Rome and did not skip these stages. Hiking through this region gave us an appreciation for the agricultural focus of the area. And we met friendly locals in a part of Italy that few tourists visit.
Even though our time in the Po Valley was not quite over, we felt a sense of accomplishment upon reaching the Po River after 94 miles of trekking from Santhia. WIth some slightly cooler weather in the forecast, we were confident in our ability to complete the final 50 miles of Po Valley trekking before reaching the foothills of Italy’s Apennine Mountains on the Via Francigena route.
Watch the spotlight video highlighting our crossing of the Po River: