Via Francigena nel Sud Day 18: Benevento - Buonalbergo

Road to from Rome Day 18: Benevento - Buonalbergo

“Our life is a constant journey, from birth to death. The landscape changes, the people change, our needs change, but the train keeps moving. Life is the train, not the station.” ― Paulo Coelho.

Today's small group of walkers gathered at the Trajan Arch in Benevento. The triumphal arch built across the Via Appia in AD 114-117 marked the point where we leave the route of one ancient Roman road, the Via Appia, and take another, the Via Traiana.

The Via Traiana was built under the emperor Trajan as an extension of the Via Appia, covering the distance between Beneventum and Brundisium (Brindisi) by a shorter and less mountainous route,via Canusium, Butuntum and Barium rather than via Tarentum. This was commemorated by the construction of the arch at Beneventum.

Shorter and less mountainous sounds as good to us as it did to the ancient Romans! But not even the Romans could flatten the Apennines, the mountain chain running down the backbone of Italy that we need to cross. Today's walk through the foothills of the Apennines involved a lot of ups and downs, especially in the second half of the stage. But the beauty of this fruitful land, with its olive groves, vineyards, and fields of tomatoes, squash and tobacco, and the warmth of the local people made it all worthwhile!

At a place on the outskirts of Paduli, called Taverna because it has always been the site of a roadside tavern, we were offered snacks and wine - at 11 in the morning! A man who lived nearby came over to see what was happening, and showed me a Roman sestertius he had found on his land, as well as various other coins from different ages in history.

It would appear that people have always been drinking wine in the morning on this spot, and consequently dropping coins all over! 

From Paduli we proceeded on to Sant'Arcangelo Tricase, where we met five horsemen returning from Monte Sant'Angelo bearing a new sculpture of Saint Michael, which they delivered to the town on the Saint's feast day. The statue was placed on a large rock covered with a lace tablecloth, and the parish priest blessed it and the horsemen in a short ceremony. 

Continuing towards Buonalbergo once the ceremony was over, we continued to find new distractions to slow our progress, such as petting the foals in a nearby corral, talking to elderly ladies or participating in the grape harvest - for all of five minutes!

Upon arriving in Buonalbergo, after many a hill and dale, we were welcomed by the townspeople with cheering and applause, and were introduced and interviewed before retiring to our pilgrim accommodations at the Casa del Pellegrino. Our hostess Fernanda provided us and the other three guests, from Copenhagen, with a delicious dinner of pasta and homegrown vegetables - perfect for the night before we cross the Apennines!!!