Our Via Francigena in Italy, from the beginning
WRITTEN by Dana Papenhagen
Before there were official way markers, before the Via Francigena in Italy was widely known, we were already walking it.
In 2009, Virginio and I marked sections of the route ourselves for our first pilgrims.
We walked, searched, adjusted, and walked again.
We believed in this road long before it was fully visible.
We still live on it. In Viterbo.
The Via Francigena passes through our daily life. We walk it in different seasons.
We work along it. We return to it again and again.
Along this path, certain places have grown with us from the very beginning.
Not as providers. As companions.
A HILLTOP WELCOME
San Giorgio, Agriturismo, our first night after Siena
Leaving Siena, the road opens into the Crete Senesi.
White gravel roads. Soft hills. A wide sky.
At the top of one of those hills, stands San Giorgio.
For our pilgrims, it is the first evening on the Via Francigena.
For us, it has been a constant since we began.
Family run since 2004, today Tina, Francesca, Elena, and Paolo carry it forward.
You arrive tired. Dust on your shoes. Silence in your steps.
Then something shifts.
There is a quiet feminine touch in everything.
Ceramics chosen with care. A table set with intention.
Flowers. Warmth.
Not perfection, but balance. The feeling of being welcome into someone’s home.
Dinner unfolds slowly.
The pappa al pomodoro arrives. Three ingredients. Hours of preparation.
Many of our pilgrims say it is the best they have ever tasted.
It is not elaborate. It is patient.
One small detail always reminds us why we love this place.
The old terracotta floor moves slightly under your feet.
It carries time inside it.
It feels like something that has endured and will continue to endure.
San Giorgio has grown over the years. New rooms. More structure.
The spirit remains unchanged.
It is one of the most remembered stops of a long journey.
The place people speak about.
The place they wish to return to.
LAND, HANDS, AND TRUST
Monte Jugo, Goat cheese farm, between Montefiascone and Viterbo
Further south, the path opens wide.
From Lake Bolsena to the slopes of the Cimini Mountains, the landscape stretches across fields, volcanic soil, and ancient Roman roads.
This is our land. We live here.
Monte Jugo entered our story when the Via Francigena was still finding its identity.
Ferdinando welcomed us when our project was young and uncertain.
“ The first cheese tasting was shared with Susan, Cindy, and Sam.
Early pilgrims. Early days.”
Pilgrims arrive hungry. And curious.
They are welcomed into a bright space with wooden beams and large glass walls. Across from the tasting room, local families shop for olive oil, honey, and cheese.
Beyond that, the production area is visible.
Nothing hidden. Nothing staged.
Each person receives one generous plate.
The cheeses are arranged from the youngest to the most aged, guiding the palate naturally along the way.
A quiet progression. A small journey within the larger one.
There are their own cured meats. Vegetables from the garden.
Wine. Sometimes truffle.
The explanations are simple and clear.
No excessive technical language. Just pride and familiarity.
At first, few dare to taste the goat milk. Then someone does.
Surprise moves around the table. So delicate. So unexpected.
What began as a small tasting room has grown into a true restaurant.
The structure has expanded. The professionalism has evolved. The welcome remains.
We supported each other from the beginning.
We brought pilgrims to a route that was still taking shape.
They nourished our pilgrims with what their land produces.
It was never just a lunch stop.
It was mutual trust.
THE ROAD CONTINUES
Pilgrims come and go.
But we remain on this path.
We do not operate from a distance.
We live on the Via Francigena.
We know its quiet winters and its dusty summers.
We know where the light falls in late afternoon and how the land changes from Tuscany into Lazio.
A pilgrimage is not built by markers alone.
It is shaped by people who stay.
If you feel called to walk with us, these are the journeys along our Via Francigena.
