Do most people take this route from Rome to Bar, or from Bari to Rome? I get the jumping off to Jerusalem, but did it serve historically for those going to Rome as well?
Very interesting question.
Not that many people walk it and I think (based only on what I see on here and elsewhere) that most people - that is the kind of peope who have walked some of all of the path from Canterbury to Rome - see it as a continuation. And certainly the current major guide in the Terre De Mezzo series (in Italian or English) does it that way.
Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe From Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca: a spectacular Way along ancient consular roads, archaeology and nature, castles and abbeys, and boundless horizons where land, sky and sea meet. From the Appia Antica Park to Terracina, Gaeta and Sessa Aurunca. Then on...
www.terre.it
Sandy Brown's new guide in the Cicerone series is due out next year.
When I walked from Rome to Bari and Brindisi in 2018, there wasn't an overabundance of waymarking, but what there was was unidirectional I think. But obviously you could go either way and with GPX traces you can go whichever way you wish, though they are listed as North to South here.
The Via Francigena in Italy From the Great St. Bernard Pass to Rome Via Francigena in the Susa Valley From Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca The route to Monte […]
www.viefrancigene.org
Historically though it was a very important two way route linking Rome to Constantiople and beyond - (and add as many place name changes as you wish).
Essentially Rome to Brindisi was the Via Appia and then from the magnificent harbour in Brindisi (not Bari) you set off to modern Albania. And thence it is the Via Egnatia. From there to Turkey and beyond, through Albania, North Macedonia and Greece, you still come upon old Roman road paving along the way just as you do at various parts in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.
And of course Alexander, and Bucephalus, used the eastern extension, before the Romans, to reach what is now I guess modern Pakistan. And the "Silk Road(s)" continued on to China. As I saw it somwhere, "ideas, goods, disease and death" travelled along the road, backwards and forwards.
So historically it must have been a very busy two way street. Was there much
pilgrim traffic from the East to Rome in the past? I guess not, or the volume was hugely less than that of soldiers and traders. But to walk
from Brindisi to Rome is both feasible and interesting!
Brindisi was the traditional end, although having walked to Brindisi I came back up to Bari to get ferry to Durrẽs. It is a much busier port and the ferries now from Brindisi are less and go to Vlore further south in Albania and I guess probably Corfu too.
If you get to Brindisi you should contact the
Accademia degli Erranti for stamps and information and enthusiastic chat! You need to phone to say you are coming. Right in the historic centre.
Durrẽs also called Dyrrachium/Dyrrrachion and Epidamnos is pre-Roman in origin and a mighty port. I think
@jungleboy is good on the history (and much more!
)
Walking to Santa Maria di Leuca (onward from Brindisi) - again interesting There is a "traditional route" whatever that means and now also a
Cammino del Salento from Brindisi. Enthusiastic volunteers supporting it. You walk down through Lecce, which is a wonderful city in itself. And a superb hostel to the south of the centre of Lecce, not specifically a pilgrim hostel but very sympathetic.
From a website:
The sanctuary, also known as the Basilica De Finibus Terrae (Leuca was where the land ended for the Romans), was consecrated by Pope Julius I on 1st August 343 AD. It has long been a place of pilgrimage and is particularly busy around the middle of August each year. So I guess that bit at least was normally walked south, but of course you had to come back after that!
That part of Puglia is a calm quiet and peaceful place out of season and an easy week's walk from Brindisi. It is very very popular with Italian holidaymakers and a bit off the international tourism trail I would think. Very very quiet out of season and much accommodation closed down - but I had no real problem in November. As I said again recently, you only need one bed, one bar and one restaurant each night.
I remember I had booked a very nice smart modern hotel, participating in the Cammino del Salento, with a discount, and was the only one there in Santa Cesarea de Terme. And I was treated royally. Lovely rooftop bar, evening meal and breakfast.
"When do you close for the season?" I asked. "Just as soon as you leave in the morning!" I was told.
