On foot along the Via Francisca del Lucomagno, pilgrims for 135 km

The path that connects Lavena Ponte Tresa, in the province of Varese, to the tomb of Saint Augustine in Pavia in 135 km, has been completely renovated with an enhancement project, crossing an area rich in art, history, culture and nature.

The Via Francisca del Lucomagno is ready to welcome pilgrims, wayfarers, simply curious people or lovers of nature, art and history. In its 135 km that connect Lavena Ponte Tresa (on the border with Switzerland) to Pavia, the Via Francisca del Lucomagno crosses the provinces of Varese and Milan, intersecting places of great cultural, historical and naturalistic interest.

The entire route was duly mapped, marked and equipped, becoming only last year, with the works still in progress, the destination of almost a thousand pilgrims. Many are in fact those who have set out from the shores of Lake Ceresio, overlooked by Lavena Ponte Tresa to reach the tomb of Saint Augustine in the basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’oro in Pavia. In total, eight stages to go from the Prealps to the splendid covered bridge over the Ticino, following in the footsteps of those who had come down from the north since the year 1000 Europe to reach Rome.

The Italian (and Lombard) section of the Via Francisca del Lucomagno is part of a historical route.

The Via Francisca del Lucomagno in fact enters Italy in the picturesque border town on Lake Ceresio after having traveled 375 kilometers from Constance passing through the Canton of St. Gallen, the Grisons and then the Canton of Ticino.

And after Pavia it connects to the Via Francigena directed towards Rome the Eternal City.
The Via Francisca also allows you to reach Arles and from there the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
It is an artery that winds through a highly urbanized area, but which over time has been able to preserve those elements capable of making it unique and easily recognizable.

Five parks (Argentera, Campo dei Fiori, Medio Olona, ​​Altomilanese and the Ticino Valley), holy places such as the Sacro Monte di Varese, the monastery of Cairate, the abbey of Morimondo and certainly not least the basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, but also historical testimonies of absolute value such as the monastery of Torba and villages like Castiglione Olona make it a suggestive and enriching itinerary.
Moreover, thanks to the dense public transport network that connects the territory, every single stage can also be experienced individually for a weekend walk.