Via Francigena a Lucca

Lucca's place on the Via Francigena is recorded in the account of Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, whose return journey from Rome around 990 included the city among its stages. The cathedral of San Martino and its cult of the Volto Santo became central to the city's identity as a pilgrimage destination.

Why it matters

The Via Francigena connected northern Europe with Rome. Sigeric's account of his return journey, recorded around 990, names Lucca among its stages. Pilgrimage left traces in the city's religious and civic history: the labyrinth carved in the cathedral porch, the memory of Countess Matilde, and an inscription recording money-changers' oath concerning transactions with pilgrims. The Volto Santo, a revered wooden crucifix preserved at the cathedral, made Lucca a destination as well as a point along the route. The route was recognised as a Council of Europe Cultural Route in 1994 and a Major Cultural Route in 2004.

What to notice

San Martino Cathedral preserves several markers associated with pilgrimage: a labyrinth carved in its atrium, a portrait of Countess Matilde of Canossa and a Latin inscription concerning the money-changers' oath. The cathedral's Volto Santo is a carved crucifix long associated with Lucca's devotional life and with stories that circulated beyond the city. Other local traditions connect the name of Vicolo dell'Altopascio and a Tau emblem with the hospice community of Altopascio; a well at Palazzo Fatinelli is associated with the story of Santa Zita and a pilgrim. These places and objects reflect the religious, charitable and commercial networks that formed around pilgrimage.

Context and history

In Sigeric's time Lucca was already an important stage between routes across the coastal passes and the Apennines. During the central Middle Ages, cathedral canons, monasteries and hospices provided care for travellers, while money-changers served people arriving with different currencies. The Volto Santo, by tradition associated with Nicodemus, helped establish Lucca as a destination for devotion. Countess Matilde's support linked the city to the wider north-south corridor of her territories. In modern times, the Via Francigena received European cultural-route recognition in 1994 and a higher designation in 2004.