From Pont St Martin to Garlasco

The second week of trekking of the Via Francigena in Italy crosses the north of the region Piedmont and ends in Lombardy. This is the itinerary that leads from the Alps to the Pavese plain and during the week you will see different landscapes: the Alps behind Ivrea, the hills around Vercelli and the wide plain in front. Towns rich in history, take turns with natural pearls like the lake of Viverone. Ancient medieval towers, basiliche and renaissance buildings take you back in times. Lastly, but not for importance, the Sanctuary  of Madonna della Bozzola, an important pilgrims destination.  You will be met in Pont St Martin, which you can easily reach by train in 2h30 from Milano, and you wil receive all the material you need for your trip: hotel vouchers, the detailed description of the walking and the GPS maps.

Facts and figures

Highlights:

Day 1: PONT SAINT MARTIN  
The departure point of the first stage is Pont Saint Martin, little village located on the frontier between Valle d’Aosta and Piedmont. It owes its name to the Roman bridge dating back in the I century B.C. . The second part of the name honors the Saint. In the neighborhood there is also the Strada delle Gallie (Gaul’s’ road), which arrived almost intact nowadays, with its pavement, one column and the arch built in the granite.

Height at departure: 345 m

 

Day 2: PONT SAINT MARTIN   – IVREA   

Today the itinerary winds among countryside areas, little villages and woods. From the hills located in the north of Ivrea, you will see, in the distance Montalto castle, a huge fortress with high towers dated back to 1300. The stage ends in Ivrea, located on the banks of the river Dora Baltea. In the towns you will find some important remains of the Roman Age and from medieval times, when Ivrea was protected by its walls and divided in “rioni” (quarters).

Height at arrival:  253 m

Length: 20.5km
Walking time: 6h.00

Day 3 – IVREA – VIVERONE 

The first part of the today’s stage take place through open countryside. Interesting, the little village of Bollengo, The second part goes across the hills and offers nice views on the valley and then on the Lake of Viverone, with crystalline water and rich in uncontaminated plant and wild life. Really nice to visit is the nearest village of Piverone, with the interesting Bell Tower.

Height at the arrival:  287 m

Length: 18km
Walking time: 5h.30

Day 4 – VIVERONE – SANTHIA’

After a quite walk along the lake of Viverone, you continues through a nice wooded area to cross one of the last hills before the agricultural plain. The fields gets the upper hand little by little while you reach Santhià, first village you meet during the long passage of the Padana plain. Santhià is an agricultural and industrial centre where two branches of the Francigena Way join on: one towards the Gran San Bernardo Pass and the other one towards the Susa Valley.

Day 5 – SANTHIA’ – VERCELLI
This is the first stage completely flat. During spring the wide area of fields around Vercelli became a boundless water expanse, thanks to a complex net of water channels built for rice cultivation. The city of Vercelli is at the junction of two branches of the Francigena Way (Jacob toward Turin and Susa Valley, and Sigeric toward Valle d’Aosta). The medieval Cavour square is entierly surrounded by ancient houses with porch and the renowned Basilica of Saint Andrew isan absolute masterpiece of Romanesque-Gothic of North Italy.

Day 6 – VERCELLI – ROBBIO 

Out of Vercelli, after a short walk in the countryside, you walk along the banks of the river Sesia. The itinerary becomes wooded and you cross the border between Piedmont and Lombardy. Nearly Palestro, you will leave the river and shortly you reach Robbio. This town is on the consular street that led to Gallie and had an important role since the ancient times. Today it is an agricultural and industrial centre in the pavese plain.

Height at the arrival:  120m Length: 16 km
Walking time: 4h

Day 7 – ROBBIO – GARLASCO 

The today’s stage crosses the pavese countryside till Mortara. Farm houses and rural houses are like little points among the wide cultivated fields. This is the home of the Salame d’Oca (goose Salami ) and it hosts a historical “palio” dating back to 1400 during which take place the famous " game of the goose". From here you continue by train to Garlasco, well know for the Sanctuary of Madonna della Bozzola, 4 km from the town centre.

Day 8 – DEPARTURE
After breakfast end of the tour or you can continue towards Pavia if you have booked one more week.