With Leonardo Porcelloni, University of Nottingham.
The via Francigena or Romea was a plural medieval road system that linked, through NW Alpine passes, the areas to the north and west with Rome and then on to the Holy Land. It was a fundamental thoroughfare for the Christian West, with a history dating back to the Frankish dominion in the 9th century, and earlier under the Longobards. Some sections followed pre-existing Roman roads which over time developed a different hierarchy and generated further local connections. During the 13th century, the routes altered according to the growth of towns and trades.
The via Francigena has since the 1990s become increasingly famous. Its popularity is linked to the reinvention of the phenomenon of pilgrimage, the associated growth of tourism and the considerable research interest in via Francigena by academics and local enthusiasts. Nonetheless, its historical characterisation remains debated today, various sections of the itinerary are nebulous and, consequently, the detailed tourist itinerary is that connects Canterbury to Rome and southern Italy sometimes controversial.
My study focusses on the identity of this medieval road network by tracing a critical historiography of historians, geographers, archaeologists and others since the start of scholarly interest in 1700. Secondly, I have two case study areas, one in northern Tuscany, where the via Francigena crosses the Apennines, and another in the hilly landscape of southern Tuscany. Using old maps, archive documents and field surveys, the aim is to recreate the medieval road network and landscapes of transit related to the Francigena. Lastly, the aim is to shed light on the modern use of the Francigena looking at the pilgrimage experience using mixed methods and the ethnographic research.
Part of the Cultural and Historical Seminar Series.
Please contact sue.davis@nottingham.ac.uk for the link to the event.