On the Trail: Via Francigena, Piglio, Italy
- Oct 8, 2016
- 2 min read
ON THE TRAIL
VIA FRANCIGENA, PIGLIO, ITALY
ITALIAN WONDER WAYS SERIES
No two mountains are ever the same. Despite the number of mountains I have seen at
varying elevations, rain or snow, dense or high desert, each one is different from the other.
And I guarantee you that nothing in my lifetime will be like the mountains that day.
It was a warm September day and in Central Italy, that means endless blue skies and
seeming eternal sunshine. We were on a section of the Via Francigena trail, actually
a pilgrim route first that meanders through various parts of Italy, but also doubles as
a running/hiking-cum-bike trail. I and a cohort of journalists, photographers, and
hiked a paved section of the Via Francigena trail from Acuto to Piglio. This trail which
also coincides with the popular bike path called "Ciclabile Piglio-Fiuggi", a trail that
is laid on top of an old railroad. While we only did 5-ish miles of the trail, it actually
stretches about 20 miles long. There is practically no elevation gain, but my guess
is that if we had walked all the way to the center of Piglio, it would have been at least
500' of vertical gain. Maybe I need to come back somehow on a bike to see for myself.
But when I said there will probably be no other trail like this,
what I mean is that I probably would not have sweeping vistas
of vineyards and olive groves like this. If I had any doubts then
(I didn't, but if I did), it would have been made unequivocal then.
I am in Italy.
Towards the end of the trail, a terra-cotta town is plopped
smack in the middle of a lush wooded mountain. Piglio.
Hanger vanishes and astonishment and wonder replaces it.
I have unabashedly gushed over this unassuming village
packed with mountain charm (and rock climbers that day)
Italian Wonder Ways trip - indulge me and check it out.
IF YOU GO
If you plan on getting up there on a bike, would you give me a call so I can tag along? Arrogance aside,
I suspect I could tackle this hill with my eyes closed, but I've been wrong before and I would like to be
humbled by how off I actually am. :)
Depending on when you go, there could actually be a considerable amount of either foot or bike traffic.
For this reason, I would recommend going on an MTB instead of a road bike.
Here's a Strava profile of the section from Acuto to the bottom of the hill at Piglio. I recorded the
walk late so I think I missed GPS for about a mile.
If you're a sucker for elevation and long distance hikes/bike rides, though, it is impossible that
Monte Scalambra northwest of Piglio will evade your attention. It looks like a tempting 1,800'
of climbing, which either by foot or bike, sounds exhilarating. Reason #324 to come back here stat.
What is Italian Wonder Ways anyway? Funny you should ask. Check out the prelude here.
Disclosure: I was a guest of Italian Wonder Ways and Visit Lazio during this trip, but all opinions
in this and in related posts are my own.
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