On the Via Francigena: walking through history among rice fields and abbeys

In the heart of the province of Vercelli, the Via Francigena crosses a unique landscape, where the gaze is lost among mirror-like rice fields, rows of poplar trees and ancient traces of a thousand-year-old path. This stretch of the famous pilgrimage route – which in the Middle Ages linked Canterbury to Rome – is one of the most evocative in the Po Valley. From Santhià to Vercelli, and then on to Robbio, the route winds along dirt roads, irrigation canals and charming farming villages. Along the way, there are places steeped in history and spirituality, such as the Basilica of Sant’Andrea in Vercelli, the Abbey of Lucedio and the ancient Hospice of San Pietro in Robbio.