Guidebooks for the Via Francigena (Lucca-Roma)

[Karl Oz]

Hi Pilgrims,

I am considering the stretch of the VF between Lucca and Rome this October. I prefer to use a guidebook when on pilgrimage and have looked in the forum for ideas but have not had success. So can anyone who has walked this path this year suggest something useful and up-to-date please.

Grazie!

 

[roving_rufus]

There are a couple of English guide books
(1) Cicerone
https://www.cicerone.co.uk/walking-the-via-francigena-pilgrim-route-part-3

(2) Lightfoot

Via Francigena

The via Francigena is one side of the great triangle of middle age pilgrimage routes linking northern Europe with Santiago de Compostela and Rome and largely fo

pilgrimagepublications.com

(3) terre de mezzo

The Via Francigena (English Edition) - Terre di mezzo

The official guide of Terre di mezzo on the Via Francigena from the Alps in Rome through some of the most beautiful Italian territories

www.terre.it

I have no experience with the third and I think its the least up to date. The other two have different styles- so tend to divide according to personal preference. However, the Cicerone guides are divided into three sections with the 3rd being Lucca to Rome, while the Lightfoot are two volumes, so the 2nd one covers the Italian section of the VF from the Grand St Bernard Pass

 

[andycohn]

Hi Pilgrims,

I am considering the stretch of the VF between Lucca and Rome this October. I prefer to use a guidebook when on pilgrimage and have looked in the forum for ideas but have not had success. So can anyone who has walked this path this year suggest something useful and up-to-date please.

Grazie!

Roving Rufus lists the 3 giodebooks in English, and as he says, it's a matter of personal preference. Personally, I liked the Cicerone book over the Lightfoot book because of its general descriptions. The Lightfoot book is more comprehensive for accommodations, but Gronze will serve you better for locating and describing places to stay.

However, I liked the the Terre di Mezzo guide best of all (which I didn't find outdated when we walked the route in the fall of 2021). It did an excellent job of combining the general and the nitty-gritty specific, and featured very clear and useful maps. Unfortunately, the latest edition is out-of-print, but copies can still be found on Amazon. Also, the publisher has just released a new edition in Italian, so I suspect a new English edition will shortly follow. (Keep checking their website, if your trip is not imminent).

Also, if it's useful, I'm linking a "how-to", logistical guide which I put together which covers the guidebooks and other information, which -- hopefully -- would be helpful in your planning.

Buon cammino!

VFresources2024.docx

Shared with Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

 

[NancyZ]

Hi Pilgrims,

I am considering the stretch of the VF between Lucca and Rome this October. I prefer to use a guidebook when on pilgrimage and have looked in the forum for ideas but have not had success. So can anyone who has walked this path this year suggest something useful and up-to-date please.

Grazie!

There is an app called via francigena.

 

[High Endeavours]

Hi Pilgrims,

I am considering the stretch of the VF between Lucca and Rome this October. I prefer to use a guidebook when on pilgrimage and have looked in the forum for ideas but have not had success. So can anyone who has walked this path this year suggest something useful and up-to-date please.

Grazie!

I used Sandy Brown's guides last year Aug-Oct. They are well presented and up to date, and any changes can be found on the Cicerone website. As long as you have downloaded the GPX onto an online map app (I used Gaia last year and again this year on the Way of St Francis) you will be fine. There is a group page on Facebook which will provide you with all the other required information, and as pointed out there is an official Via Francigena app and webpage. The whole route is amazing, and I know you will really enjoy the route from Lucca south. It takes about 3 weeks. Have fun!

Itinerary - Via Francigena

The Itinerary More than 3000 kilometers, from Canterbury to Rome and Santa Maria di Leuca, to walk step by step on mountain paths, mule tracks, rural and secondary roads, cypress-lined […]

www.viefrancigene.org

 

[Rick Davidson]

There is an app called via francigena.

Yes, the Via Francigina and the SloWays apps…a little different but basically the same data and maps…have gps tracking. Easy to use. Tough to go astray!