Walking along the Via Francigena to rebalance body and mind

Everyone can walk. It’s as easy as one, two, three. All you need is a good pair of shoes and a rucksack, at most. Nobody asks you to ascend a mountain or be an expert mountaineer. Even a quick walk in your city is more than enough.

Walking can be revolutionary – no need to reinvent the wheel. Simply give up some creature comforts. Let’s follow Erlin Kagge’s lead, who wrote escape the tyranny of speed and dilate the wonder of each moment and return intensity to life.

What good can walking do? Walkers are healthier, have a better memory, and are more creative. We’ve experienced this first hand, as we have Case in the Dolomites and in Val d’Orcia, walking destinations par excellence. Speaking of Val d’Orcia, home to the renowned Via Francigena, we invite guests to make a memorable experience out of their strolls and hikes.

Our suggestion is to walk on the very same path trod on by Archbishop of Canterbury Sigerica as he travelled from Rome to Canterbury in 990 after the Pope made him Archbishop and gave him the pallium, the symbol of Sigerica’s new role.

Start from Radicofani, moving on to Castiglione d’Orcia and the stunning Aldebrandeschi fort, Bagno Vignoni and its mesmerising “water square”, Vignoni alta boasting a stunning view over the entire valley and Mount Amiata, and finally reaching San Quirico – an untouched Medieval jewel. You can also take a detour to Pienza, the “ideal city”, known for its stunning cathedral dedicated to St Mary of the Assumption, or to Montalcino for a good glass of wine. Walk on well signposted paths which, now and then, intersects with the Via Cassia.

Let’s walk as we did in the past, rejecting modern comforts and luxuries, and focusing on what truly matters: the journey itself.