Читать книгу The Way of St Francis - The Reverend Sandy Brown - Страница 13

STAGE 1

Florence to Pontassieve

Start	Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence
Finish	Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, Pontassieve
Distance	18.9km
Total ascent	494m
Total descent	450m
Difficulty	Easy
Duration	4¾hrs
Note	Santa Croce doesn’t open until 9.30am so you should visit its bookshop the day before to acquire the stamp for your credential.

Memories of Renaissance masterpieces fade quickly as this stage travels along quiet bends of the scenic Arno River and briefly among olive groves before coming to modern, but charming Pontassieve.

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Florence’s many works of art and culture deserve additional study beyond the scope of this book. If you have never visited Florence, plan at least 1–2 days to enjoy its sites with a good guide or guidebook.

Make your way from the most common entry point – Santa Maria Novella train station – to the starting point of the first stage of the Way of St Francis at the Basilica Santa Croce. As well as being the largest Franciscan church in the world, the Basilica Santa Croce is sometimes called the ‘mausoleum of Italy’ since it contains the tombs of some of Italy’s most revered citizens. The basilica itself is darker and more dense with color than its more famous sibling, the Duomo of Florence. Spend time here to enjoy the ornate tombs and rich frescoes. Entry costs €6 and visiting time is from 9.30am−5.00pm Monday to Saturday, and 1.00pm−5.00pm Sunday. Watch for closures on special holidays. A lovely pilgrim stamp (timbro) is available at the bookshop inside the main basilica.

As one of Italy’s main tourist destinations, Florence has hundreds of hotels. Two on the lower end of the price scale and near the train station are the recently renovated Hotel Eden (Via Nazionale 55, tel 055 483722, info@hoteleden.firenze.it, €50/60, breakfast included) and Hotel Accademia (Via Faenza 7, tel 055 293451, info@hotelaccademiafirenze.com, €50/55, breakfast included). Florence also has several hostels, but most popular among pilgrims and near the Campo di Marte is 7 Santi Hostel (Viale dei Mille 11, tel 055 5048452, info@7santi.com, from €19), set in a former monastery. Another fine choice is Hostel Santa Monaca set in a 15th century-convent in the Santo Spirito quarter (Via S. Monaca 5, tel 055 268 338, info@ostellosantamonaca.com, from €11).

At the steps of Basilica Santa Croce, facing the church, follow the street to the right until it ends in one block, then turn left onto Via dei Tintori. In just 1½ blocks you see the raised sidewalk alongside the Arno River. Cross the street and follow this sidewalk past the busy riverside hotels, with the old tower of Florenced’s original walls visible across the river. Car traffic crosses the Arno on successive bridges. Before the second bridge find a footpath down to the dirt trail alongside the river. This path will take you all the way out of urban Florence.

Not long after crossing under the railway bridge come to the town of San Jacopo al Girone (6.7km). At the entry to town and just before a childrend’s outdoor play area, turn left off the path and follow Via del Girone alongside the railroad tracks for two long blocks to the stoplight and piazza at the center of town. Cross left, under the tracks, and then veer right onto the white brick sidewalk of Via San Jacopo. At the end of the sidewalk turn left and follow Via dei Bassi as it winds its narrow way uphill along stone walls and through olive groves. At the second right, turn onto Via della Rosa which traverses the hillside then descends with views of Compiobbi below. Follow the road downhill past the railroad tracks where it finally ends at Strada Proviniciale 110 in Compiobbi (10km).

Now turn right at the Strada Provinciale, cross under the railroad tracks and then cross the Via Arentina highway. Here the official path heads back up into the hills, but a shorter and quieter option is across the street. Here in the small piazza are a bank, restaurant and cafá/bar.Take the trail just past the newspaper kiosk at the right side of the piazza along the slow and lazy Arno River. In 300m turn left at a yellow utility tower and walk the steps up to the protected walk beside the highway. In 400m you come to the riverside town of Ellera. Continue as the walkway becomes a sidewalk and then briefly rejoin the highway at a traffic circle in the town of Le Falle.

Just after the traffic circle look for a new, nondescript, yellow church on the left side of the road. Immediately after this turn left onto tiny Via Le Folle. Cross under the railroad tracks and cross the pedestrian bridge that spans the creek.

The official route rejoins here. Follow the walkway, then turn left at its end and follow Via Gricigliano uphill beside a yellow apartment building. At the fork in 300m turn right onto Via Paretaio.

The road veers to the right and in 700m crosses back under the railroad bridge. Turn left at the highway and carefully follow it on the left shoulder for 200m to the town of Sieci (13.4km). Walk on the highwayd’s sidewalk and cross the Arno tributary on the highway bridge. Just after the bridge, turn right onto the pedestrian walkway along the river.

The flat, gravel path along the Arno River makes for a relaxing and tranquil walk

Follow this trail to enjoy the last quiet moments along the beautiful Arno. Turn left, away from the river, at Via Toscanini after the park and continue across the Via Arentina highway at a roundabout. Cross under the railroad tracks on the right side of the road and immediately make a hard right, doubling back to a dirt road that follows alongside the tracks. Follow this road until it ends at a house.

Looking down toward Compiobbi

Turn left and aim uphill on the gravel road past a yellow, concrete utility tower. Turn right at the tower and follow the dirt road across the hillside among vineyards. The road turns right again to head down toward the tracks and when it is near, back up a path to the left that goes through a small woods. Soon come to a gravel road which you follow right and downhill. The gravel road becomes concrete as it enters the outskirts of Pontassieve.

Stay on this road as it passes a small piazza and then veers right and downhill, ending at the Via Gualdo Reni. Turn left here and follow the road through the Porta Fiorentina city gate, finding Piazza Vittorio Emanuelle II on the right.

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Central Pontassieve

In the Middle Ages, Pontassieve was called ‘Castel Sant’Angelo’ for the Florentine castle built here. The town later became known for its strategic bridge across the Sieve River, which opened to Florence the territories of Mugello and Casentino. By the 18th century Pontassieve’s location made it a regional economic hub, and in the 19th and 20th centuries the railroad made it an industrial center. Its economic importance led the Allies to bomb the town repeatedly during World War II. Although none of its medieval features remain, the town was rebuilt along its medieval lines, with winding roads that follow the contours of the riverbank. The modern town hall is built on the foundations of the original medieval castle, and Via Ghiberti, the bustling, central commercial road, connects it with the Sieve bridge as in days past. Today, Pontassieve is a hub for artisanal leather, Chianti wine, olive oil, and handmade glass and pottery.

Pilgrims receive a warm reception at Leonardo’s Rooms B&B (Via Piave 7, tel 360 923824, info@leonardosrooms.it, €45/60/70/80. Hearty pilgrim breakfast). Also convenient is Toscani da Sempre (Via Fratelli Monzecchi 13/15, tel 558 392952, info@toscanidasempre.it, €50/70). In the lower town, by the river, is Hotel i Villini (Viale Armando Diaz 28, tel 055 8368140, info@ivillini.it, from €40).

STAGE 2

Pontassieve to Passo della Consuma

Start	Piazza Vittorio Emanuel II, Pontassieve
Finish	Main piazza, Consuma
Distance	17.8km
Total ascent	1021m
Total descent	138m
Difficulty	Hard
Duration	6hrs
Note	The sole possibility for refreshment after Pontassieve is the bar at Diacceto, so it may be wise to bring provisions for the whole day.

A constant uphill track takes you from vineyards into the forests that will be your setting for the next five days. Today’s climb is to the top of a saddle of mountains that separate two sections of the Arno River. Although about two-thirds of today’s walk is on pavement, the often-spectacular views over vineyards and through forests to the green mountains of the Central Apennine range make this an enjoyable stage.

From Piazza Vittorio Emanuel II walk toward the Municipale and turn right onto Via Tanzini. Go under the clock tower arch and veer left as the road becomes Via Ghiberti. Note the grocery store and bakery for provisions.In 500m the road veers right and you cross the Sieve on a stout bridge. After the crossing continue along the road, passing the lovely Chiesa San Francesco on the right. One block later turn left on Via Bettini. At Via Farulla turn right and in one block come to the Via Forlivese, the main road up and down the Sieve Valley.

The view from the Ponte Mediceo bridge over the Sieve River in Pontassieve

Just across the street is the barely visible Via Tirolo. Take it uphill, first crossing a railroad bridge. You will climb uphill on this pleasant, asphalt lane for the next 2.9km, with beautiful views of the Sieve Valley and the 10th-century Castello di Nipozzano, now a prosperous winery of the historic Frescobaldi company. The asphalt road ends among olive orchards near the top of the hill at an intersection marked ‘Via di Castello Nipozzano.’

Cross the intersection onto the gravel road between two stone walls and continue uphill. In 800m cross an asphalt road and continue straight, enjoying the views of mountains and vineyards. Cross the highway in a couple hundred meters and continue uphill on the gravel vineyard road on the other side.

In 700m the vineyard road turns right toward a cemetery. Follow it 50m to the first wall of the cemetery, then turn left and follow the wall to the cemetery’s driveway. Turn left here and continue 100m to the highway. At the highway turn right, going uphill into the village of Diacceto (6km). The bar on the left side at the turnoff for Pelago is the last place for services until the end of the day’s walk.

San Pietro Ferrano is visible for several kilometers along the forested mountainside

Continue uphill 400m on the highway to the turnoff for Ferrano. Turn right here to follow this forested, quiet and fairly level asphalt road for 4.3km until it turns to gravel. Soon, dramatic vistas of the forests and mountains around Pelago become visible, and a castle-like villa and the pointed, yellow tower of Chiesa San Pietro in Ferrano can be seen to the right. (Thomas Muller, artist and priest, graciously welcomes pilgrims at Santa Maria a Feranno, Localita Ferrano Colle 68, 338 6901122, santamariaferrano@gmail.com, €15 per person or €20 with linens.)

Just past the church (9.1km) a little bench offers a place for a rest and snack. About 20mins later the road turns to gravel and just afterward you come to an abandoned chapel on the right. Here you cross a bridge and just afterward on the left is the trailhead for the forested path to Consuma, signed ‘Consuma 1.45.’ Turn left and follow the gravel path, CAI 11, uphill, looking continually for the red/white painted waymarks of the official trail.

In 700m is an important and unmarked fork: two broad paths branch off, one toward the right among fir trees, the other to the left among deciduous trees. Turn left, and in 20m see a red/white CAI marker that confirms you’re going the right way. Soon the path starts uphill and in 700m a CAI 11 marker tells you to turn left at a T-junction.

In just 500m you come to a meadow that is bisected by a two-track gravel road. There are no markings here, but turn left on the gravel road. The road goes uphill and in 50m turns to concrete. In 200m at a triple fork, turn right at another unmarked intersection. In just 20m you seen a CAI marker on a dead fir tree to the right. In 300m you come to another intersection, this time marked with ample signs. Go left and uphill, continuing to follow CAI 11.

The path now changes to concrete and 300m later comes to a forest road. Turn left. In 1.4km you come to a green chain link fence on the right and soon afterwards a road, Via La Catena. Turn left and follow this road for 700m to an intersection where you take CAI SM (Sentiero della Memoria) right, toward Consuma. This quiet road goes uphill and curves to the right and then in 400m comes to an asphalt road and the abandoned restaurant Il Laghetto Nil Bosco. Turn left onto the asphalt road at the direction of the signs for CAI 6.

Follow the asphalt road for 900m until, after a left bend in the road, the CAI markings point you onto a small trail on the right side that offers a shortcut into Consuma. Turn right and go uphill. Follow the road at the top to the right, through scattered vacation homes to La Baita Ristorante. Just afterward turn right onto the SR70 highway and follow its left shoulder for about 800m into the heart of Consuma with its restaurants and shops. The main piazza is on the right side of the road across from the village church.

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The hamlet of Consuma sits on the Florence side of Passo della Consuma, the main crossing over a spine of the Central Appennines that separates two parts of the Arno River drainage. The town traces its roots to the 15th century when it is first noted as a village that served travelers between Arezzo and Florence. It now serves vacationers visiting the Casentino National Park on two-lane SR70. A central feature of the settlement is its church, built in 1932 over the foundations of a 16th-century chapel.

Irina Carletti has eight rooms with 17 beds available about 0.5km from the heart of town. Contact her at Affittacamere Villa Katia (Via Casentinese 331) or by phone at 346 7916151 or irina.consuma@yahoo.it, €40/70 includes breakfast). The other lodging is the threadbare but friendly Hotel Miramonti (tel 0558 306566, info@hotelmiramonti-ar.com, €45/65 pilgrim price includes breakfast. Dinner and sack lunch available) 1km beyond the town, just past the top of the pass and 200m from tomorrow’s track.

STAGE 3

Consuma to Stia

Start	Piazza, Consuma
Finish	Santa Maria Church, Stia
Distance	16.5km
Total ascent	523m
Total descent	1088m
Difficulty	Moderate
Duration	6hrs 15mins
Note	No services are available along the way, so plan to purchase provisions the night before.

A long, downhill hike on forested mountain paths and quiet farm roads. Leave early to enjoy the charming historic center of the town of Stia on the banks of the Arno.

If you stayed at the Hotel Miramonte, return 200 meters to the top of the pass to rejoin the route.From the piazza head uphill 800m to the top of the pass. Across from the log house bar at the summit find the trailhead marked ‘So.F.T. Trekking, Anello Principale.’ Take this trail as it leads gently uphill and away from the highway under beech and pine trees.

In 400m you come to an intersection with a gravel road heading downhill toward Il Gualdo horse ranch. Turn right here for B&B Gualdo (Loc Gualdo 44, tel 0575 554057, info@ilgualdo.net, from €65, pilgrim discount). At this confusing intersection follow a path marked ‘Stia 00’ just to the left of the Il Gualdo road. You come to a fence and follow it toward a group of houses and finally an asphalt road where you turn left.

The sign for the easy-to-miss path above Il Gualdo horse ranch

Shortly afterward go right at the road sign for Gualdo (3km), following the plentiful CAI ‘00CT’ markers downhill on the asphalt road through the tiny town toward a house marked ‘25,’ where the road comes to a T-junction. Continuing to follow the CAI markers, in 425m you arrive at the two-track driveway of a two-story house with a green metal fence. Walk clockwise around the fence and then take an overgrown path at the corner of the house, leading downhill.

Cross another creek on stones at the bottom of the narrow path. After crossing the creek stay on the right side and then ascend steeply for the next 500m. After the climb, the path widens and another ascent begins. Continue on this path without deviating for another 450m.