23 km walked
Today's stage looked to be the longest and toughest stage on the Via Francigena south of Rome: 33 km, with a considerable elevation gain as we cross the Appennines. For this reason we and the local walkers who joined us arranged to get a lift for the first few kilometres out of town. We then began walking downhill through farmers' fields, mostly ploughed but some still with stubbles of wheat. What goes down must come up, so after crossing the muddy bed of a nearly dry stream, we climbed steeply uphill, sweating in the heat and humidity even in the morning.
We passed abandoned old stone farm houses as well as fully operational farms, complete with chickens and barking dogs. The first landmark we came to was a site called Bolle della Malvizza, where bubbles of hydrogen and mud rise to the surface of the ground. This volcanic phenomenon was known to the ancients as "the gateway to the underworld" and was the site of a temple to the Sannite goddess Mephites, associated with water and with fertility, both of women and of the earth. So it was appropriate that at this site we were offered loaves of delicious bread made from ancient grains in nearby Montecalvo Irpino! Tearing apart the still warm loaves with our hands, we enjoyed this snack and took a group photo before moving on.
More wheat fields, more hills and valleys... With a gradual overall climb. We were walking across Ariano Irpino, one of Italy's largest municipalities in terms of territorial extension - as big as Milano, but with pnly a fraction of the population! We passed the turnoff to Aequum Tutticum, an archaeological site where a Roman post-house was located, one day's ride from Benevento. Unfortunately the site itself is not visible from the current route travelled by the Via Francigena.
Threatening clouds were beginning to gather in the distance, but we were not too worried as we had our rain gear with us and were prepared for anything. Also, today and yesterday we have come across brand new rain shelters at intervals along the Via Francigena. These wooden shelters offer a bench to sit on and a roof to provide shade or shelter from the rain, topped by solar panels which power a recharging unit, so you can even charge your phone while you wait for the rain shower to stop!
This is one feature I have never seen on a pilgrimage path before, an example of how the new and relatively unknown and undeveloped Via Francigena nel Sud is surpassing the northern parts of the Via Francigena and even the Camino de Santiago!
Our next stop was at Tre Fontane, where were happy to find not only a fountain of fresh, cold water but lunch waiting for us, offered by the municipality, including mozzarella made on the spot and scamorza hung over coals to melt it for spreading on toast.... Yum!!!
We concluded this cheesy lunch with ricotta-filled sfogliatelle, a chilly wind arose, driving us off toward the sanctuary of San Vito, at where the priest was waiting to say Mass for us and a large group of people who then walked the rest of the way to Celle di San Vito with us. On the way, we had a little ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate our passage from the region of Campania to the last region on the Via Francigena, Puglia. Then we walked through Italy's largest wind farm, built to take advantage of the winds that sweep these Appennine heights, for we were walking at over a thousand metres above sea level at this point. We passed a brush fire, spreading through the grass on the wind, with water bombers zooming overhead and jeeps racing over the fields to contain the spread of the flames. Never a dull moment on the Via Francigena!
Upon arriving in the town of Celle di San Vito, we took a group photo in front of the church - possibly our largest group photo since Rome - and then were treated to a glass of sparkling wine and a tour of the town's small museum of traditional farming culture.
Celle di San Vito is not only the first town in Puglia on the Via Francigena, it is the smallest municipality in Puglia, with a population of 160. The town is a linguistic and cultural enclave, formed in 1274 when King Charles d'Anjou brought soldiers from France to rout the Saracens under siege in Lucera. The soldiers won the battle and were granted the right to bring their families to settle in the area; ten families chose to set up their homes in the cells of the former monastery of San Vito (hence the name Celle di San Vito) because of its position out of the way of brigands and its favourable climate.
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| Provençal cross in Celle di San Vito |
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| New painting of a pilgrim before the Provençal cross, by C. Nardone |
After checking into the municipal albergo, we went down to the local restaurant, Le Fontanelle, where the town authorities treated us to an excellent dinner of local specialties. The cuisine of Puglia is one of my favourites in all of Italy, because it includes plenty of vegetables and legumes and very little meat. My favourite among the many dishes we sampled was the pureed fava beans with chicory... I can't wait to discover the culinary delights that await us over the next 18 days of walking in Puglia!
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