Joanne's long walks: Road to Home 2023 Day 83: Sivizzano

Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.

- Greg Child, mountaineer

We left Agriturismo Casa delle Viole and resumed walking along the side of the provincial highway for another two kilometres into Sivizzano, passing the foundations of a first-century AD Roman villa along the way!

Soon aftr Sivizzano - deserted at 8 am - the Via Francigena leaves the road for a path across a field and through the trees. This path involves fording the stream three times, but as the stream bed was bone-dry this was not a problem at all! 😄

The path actually continues beyond Villanova, where my guidebook and gpx track suggested we had to return to the road; it is well-marked with Via Francigena signs. A few hundred metres further on we did return to the provincial highway for a short stretch before turning off onto a smaller road, the historic Via di Monte Bardone, to Bardone and Terenzo. A sign warned of road works and a complete road closure between October 5th and 18th, but we had been forewarned, asked the lady at the tourist office in Fornovo, and were told that there was no problem for pedestrians to walk through.

No worries

On this road we climbed steeply to the tiny village of Bardone, with its fountains and church of 9th-century origin, the Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta.

Pulgrim sculpture by the fountain (modern)

Old communal oven in Bardone

The back of the church

This guy knows the people who have the key!

Bas-relief over the side door of the pieve

Hunting scene carved over the main entrance

The couple next door to the church have the key! The husband showed us around the interior of the church, where bas-reliefs from the altar of the old church in Fornovo are kept.

Tomb of a priest (1802) in the church floor

Our guide stamped our pilgrim credentials and asked us to make a small donation toward the upkeep of the church. We thanked him, said goodbye and continued along the road toward Terenzo.

A kilometre or so after Bardone we came up against the section of the road that is closed until October 18th for roadworks. We ducked under the tape around the barrier and confidently strode through, as the lady at the tourist office in Fornovo had called the people in charge of the roadworks to check with them that it was ok to do so. But the man operating the digger was of a different opinion and yelled at us 😄 - further clarification on this point required! In the meantime, I would suggest walking across the fields to avoid confrontation!

Another communal oven, in Terenzo

The church in Terenzo

After Terenzo the Via Francigena climbs steeply on a rocky track, and then descends to the mountain village of Castello di Casola.

For garden gnome fans

The communal oven in Castello di Casola

The church in Castello di Casola

House in Castello di Casola

A steep descent on a dirt path followed. We were debating which way to go at a fork in the path when Peter and Michelle, whom we met a couple of days ago but hadn't seen since, came up the path and joined us. Peter discovered a sign that had fallen over in the bushes and righted it - but it was not particularly helpful! 😄

In the end we decided that both trails probably led to the same place, and carefully made our way down the less treacherous of the two descents. We walked together to Villa di Casola, where we passed another communal oven, and then along a path through the woods to a rest area by a natural spring. There was a big old house nearby with an outdoor oven - ovens seem to be emerging as the theme of the day! 😆

Communal oven of Villa di Casola

Rest area at the spring

We were now walking though a pine forest, stepping silently on a carpet of pine needles with the scent of resin and the sound of the wind blowing through the pine branches. The contrast with the highways, shopping malls and asphalt around Piacenza could not be greater! I can see why most walkers prefer to go hiking in the mountains rather than walk across whole countries on historic pilgrimage routes. 😄

The forest path came out onto the paved road, and here there are two possible routes: a trail descending steeply into the gorges of the "Salto del Diavolo" and then back up again to the town of Cassio, or a kilometre straight along the road into the village.

No contest! We left the Devil's Leap to the devil and walked along the road into town. 😆

It may still be summer in the rest of Italy, but signs of autumn have arrived here in the mountains. Cassio is a pleasant mountain village famous for its stonemasons - a museum of stone carving is due to open in the village - with a bar, a restaurant, and a renowned pilgrim hostel. We headed there first, checked in and showered, and then waited over a carafe of wine until dinner time at the bar/food shop/restaurant Il Vecio handily located just up the road from the hostel.