Joanne's long walks: Day 24: Radicofani

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Day 24: Radicofani - Proceno

26 km

The exciting thing about making a pilgrimage, or voyage, is that when you wake up in the morning you never know what the day may have in store for you.

And a minor decision - whether to set off on a certain day, or the next day, whether to go right or left at a crossroads - can change the whole course of events. As in life in general - another example of how a pilgrimage is a metaphor for life!

Today, for example, who would have thought that I would eat my lunch on the strip of grass between an unpaved country road and the ditch, but dine in the evening before the fireplace in a medieval castle, chatting with the lord and lady of the manor!

But let's start at the beginning: leaving Radicofani at dawn

The first part of today's walk is the most spectacular yet!

After walking through amazing scenery along country roads all morning, I come to the crossroads. Here there is a rest stop with water and benches, and a café where the owner dispenses not only hot coffee, pastries and sandwiches but advice as to which route to take.

Those in a hurry to get to Rome take the direct route, walking by the road, while those who want to enjoy themselves along the way take the longer route, which takes a detour through the countryside via the castle of Proceno.

I opt for the longer route, as do the other pilgrims who had spent the night in Radicofani, who are just leaving the rest stop bar as I arrive.

Radicofani soon becomes a pimple on the landscape once again, but in the opposite direction from where I am used to seeing it!

At one time, I never would have thought I could walk this far in a day!

Proceno approaches, and the castle tower is visible

Soon I reach my abode for this evening: a newly opened pilgrims' hostel in a 16th century palace on the main square of the town!

Travelling as a pilgrim, you have access to special places not open to all. The hostel is a freshly renovated apartment on two floors, and this evening I have it all to myself!

The volunteer who lets me in tells me he works at the castle up the road, and that the lady of the manor herself will be conducting a tour for some guests at 7 pm and would be happy to have me join in. So after washing, making a cup of tea and blogging about yesterday, I wrap up again and head out into the windy evening toward the castle.

What an amazing place! One of only 19 castles in Italy to still have a fully functional drawbridge. The owners still live there, and they rent rooms in the castle itself and in their hunting lodge 10 km away to visitors. They say it is particularly popular in winter, because there is a fireplace in every single room - 21 fireplaces in all! The restaurant and wine bar also has a fireplace, and this is where we all retire for dinner after the tour. The lady of the castle herself takes our orders. Pilgrims are offered a special menu: a main course, wine and dessert for €12. The large German family staying at the hunting lodge orders a three-course meal and the lady of the castle grills their meat over the open fire while I finish my dinner and sip my wine, talking to the man of the house about the Via Francigena. He sees it as the village's main hope of recovery from abandonment and decay, just as Silvana did at the sandwich shop in Radicofani. I do hope they are right - these are two places that are real treasures, well worth visiting and worth preserving for the future. But just far enough off the main road to deter tourists in a hurry.

In short, this evening, I wined and dined in a castle and slept in a grand palace built by a noble family in the 16th century - all for a grand total of €22!