cross the valley d’Arbi in the direction
of San Quirico. We left the city and
forked out on the SR2 to continue on
the stretch between the gentle curves
and cypress avenues up to Buon-
convento. We found ourselves in a
magical landscape with the enchant-
ment of the Val d’Orcia enveloping
the heart and mind.
We stretched along the Brunello
provincial that took us to the top of a
hill, in the village of Montalcino that
dominates the valley from above.
Ahead, we crossed the beauty of the
Sienese Crete until reaching San
Quirico d'Orcia before climbing a dirt
track that stretched across the ridge
of the hill, towards the authentic jew-
el that is Val d'Orcia and Tuscany.
Bagno Vignoni was worth a stop
and our advice would be to enjoy the
beauty of its spas, maybe even those
free and outdoors. The area is dom-
inated by Mount Amiata, the ancient
volcano still providing a source of hot
water, as with the pilgrims today it is
still enjoyed for the said ‘miraculous’
properties.
From Cassia we headed back to
Radicofani, famous for being the
stronghold of Ghino di Tacco, an in-
veterate brigand. It’s our last stop in
the area of Tuscany before we reach
Lazio on the SP24
Not only a change in the name
of a region, it also brings a change
in emotions as villages are built
amongst the tuff natural landscape, it
feels far from domesticated and has a
wild beauty.
Within Cassia, it is here that we
find Acquapendente and that the Via
Francigena crosses before reaching
the magnificence of Lake Bolsena,
immediately after San Lorenzo Nuo-
va. The area is dominated by Rocca
Monaldeschi from which the view is
one of space and openness.
Amongst the company of pilgrims,
on foot and mountain bikes, we
reached Montefiascone; “The City of
Popes”. The intense green expanse
of vineyards, still dotted with grapes,
sits before us, waiting for the grapes
to be turned into world famous
wines.
Only 15 kilometres separated us
from Viterbo along the Cassia, and it
is here that we area enthralled with
the land. Hazelnuts, the real protag-
onists of the vineyards appear. The
nuts make Tuscia the most important
Hazelnut production centre in Italy,
both in terms of quantity and dedi-
cation to culture. It is also here that
Capranica rests on the slopes of the
Cimino volcano with a look towards
the lake of Vico. The first houses
of Sutri cling to the tuff rock not far
from Lake Bracciano.
Roman and medieval histories
clash as the walls of the Romanesque
cathedral intersect with those of later
times. A Roman amphitheatre exca-
vated in the rock, an ancient mitreum
then turned into a church also dug
from the rock. It was difficult to leave
Sutri, the city that legend says was
founded by the Pelasgi. Monterosi,
Campagnano, and Formello.
The heat and traffic of the ring
road around the city bore down on
TRAVERSE 64
us, modern pilgrims on two wheels.
Caput Mundi
Here is the ring road, inside the
heat and traffic of the city that never
turns for us, modern pilgrims on two
wheels, in Caput mundi. Head of the
World. Rome.
St. Peter's Square fidgeted in the
sun, incredible in its eternal beauty.
Full of smells, colours, sounds and
gestures of a humanity that comes
from all over the world driven by
desires, expectations, questions,
answers.
We’d arrived, moved by curiosity,
by the love for travel and discovery,
moved by a taste for life, enriched by
an extraordinary unique experience
and aware of being in a place where
beauty becomes spirit and spirit
becomes God. We’d come on a road
from France … ES / CZ
Emilio and Christina are journalists and
travellers. Based in Italy they know the
region better than most, together they're
Moto e Viaggi -
motoeviaggi.com