Italy's Unknown Pilgrim Routes: Alternatives to the Via Francigena
Italy has dozens of waymarked routes, many of them magnificent and almost all of them empty. From the Via degli Dei to the Cammino di San Benedetto, here are the best.
Foto: BTO - Official (CC BY 4.0) — Flickr
When people talk about walking routes in Italy, everyone thinks of the Via Francigena. And it is a splendid path, to be sure. But Italy has dozens of other routes, just as beautiful and far less crowded. Walking them means having the trails almost to yourself, sleeping in half-empty mountain huts and hostels, and experiencing the journey as something personal rather than a mass event.
The Via degli Dei connects Bologna to Florence through the Apennines. Five days of walking, 130 km, with stretches along original Roman roads and views that shift at every pass. It's the perfect route for anyone attempting a long-distance walk for the first time: well-waymarked, with reasonable daily stages and accommodation at every stop.
The Cammino di San Benedetto runs from Norcia to Subiaco through the mountains of Umbria and Lazio. Sixteen stages through abbeys, hermitages, and Apennine borghi. The landscape is that of the Valnerina and the Monti Sibillini — rugged, wild, beautiful. It is one of Italy's least known and most rewarding routes.
The Cammino Materano crosses Puglia and Basilicata all the way to Matera, following ancient drove roads. Seven days through masserie, cave churches, and landscapes of wheat and stone. The final stage, arriving in Matera from the Sassi, is unforgettable.
The Via Francigena del Sud, from Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca, is the southern continuation of the classic Francigena. It crosses southern Lazio, Campania, and Puglia. Some stretches are still loosely structured, which makes it a true adventure for those who relish uncertainty.
The Sentiero Italia is the most ambitious route of all: 7,000 km from Sardinia to the Alps, along the entire Apennine and Alpine spine. It's not meant to be walked all at once, but its individual stages are extraordinary day hikes. The CAI maintains the trail and information is available on their website.
The Cammino di San Jacopo in Tuscany links Livorno to Lucca through the Pisan hills. Four easy days, suitable even for the untrained, through landscapes that alternate sea, countryside, and hillside. It's the ideal choice for a first experience.
The Cammino dei Briganti crosses Abruzzo and Lazio along the border that once divided the Papal States from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Seven stages through abandoned borghi, karst plateaus, and beech forests. The name tells the story: these mountains were the refuge of post-unification brigands.
Organising a long-distance walk requires just a few things: broken-in boots, a light pack, a guidebook or GPS track, and booked accommodation (especially in high season). Most Italian routes have pilgrim credentials and stamps, like the Camino de Santiago — but without the queues.
Walking for days changes how you perceive time and space. Distance stops being a number and becomes effort, sweat, satisfaction. Places stop being names on a map and become physical memories: the scent of pine resin, the cold of dawn, the sound of water in a mountain stream.
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When is the best time to visit Italy's Unknown Pilgrim Routes?
The recommended time is May, June, September and October, when it is less crowded.
Where is Italy's Unknown Pilgrim Routes?
Italy's Unknown Pilgrim Routes is located in Italy.
Altre alternative a Via Francigena
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