This road, “Via Francisca del Lucomagno “is an ancient Roman-Lombard route, about 500 km long, which starts from Constance, crosses Switzerland and arrives in Pavia, overcoming the Lucomagno Pass. From that point the road connects to the Via Francigena, that leads to Rome.

The route, which has had memorable walkers over the centuries, such as San Colombano or the emperors Henry II and Frederick Barbarossa, today is undergoing a period of renewed attention, thanks to the growing and increasingly widespread interest in historical-religious paths.

Cristina and Neven on the Via Francisca

Setting out from Lavena Ponte Tresa on 19th March 2019, the environmental and hiking guide Cristina Menghini and the video-maker Neven Adzaip travelled for 135 kilometres of the Italian stretch of the Via Francisca, crossing Badia San Gemolo Valganna, the Sacro Monte of Varese, Castiglione Olona, Cairate, Castellanza, Castelletto di Cuggiono, Abbiategrasso and Motta Visconti, up to Pavia.

The idea came from the desire of Religious Hospitality Organisation to contribute to the promotion and development of one of the most interesting historical paths in Italy, describing its natural wonders and the places that welcome travellers, providing for them unforgettable moments of spiritual growth, silence and atmosphere.

A multimedia and multi-emotional story

On the two protagonists’ websites, Cristina and Neven, there is a step-by-step description of the journey made together.

Cristina is a successive walker with more than 30 thousand kilometres of road under her feet and she still has an irrepressible enthusiasm for this very particular type of tourism.

Her website: http://cristinamenghini.com/

Neven is a videomaker, a photographer and a professional drone pilot. The images he has collected, thanks to his privileged point of view will leave you breathless and represent an invitation to join the experience that will say more than countless words.

His website: http://nevenvideos.com/