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Siena – Massa (MS) along
the francigena
March 2019
After riding along the via Francigena a
few years back I remembered that the itinerary proposed for bikes
included way too much riding on asphalt roads, sometimes heavily
trafficked like via Cassia, an unpleasant and dangerous experience.
I wanted to see if following the
pedestrian via Francigena would be more pleasant and eliminate the
asphalted roads. I choose to ride the sections between Siena (it is
close to home) and Massa near Carrara.
The site
https://www.viefrancigene.org/en/mappe/
provides gpx tracks as well as
all sort of useful information.
I parked the car in
the public parking of a housing complex right next to the train
station and started under cloudy skies and cool temperatures (it was
early march).
After less than 5 km I was
riding dirt trails. I
soon reached castello della chiocciola, a 16th
century castle in good condition part of the Chianti Putto
agribusiness, being a private residence no visiting.
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| castello della chiocciola |
On to Monteriggioni
a small village completely surrounded with walls and somewhat
touristy, I don't think there are many full time residents there,
mostly tourist shops and restaurants.
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| Monteriggioni |
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| gate to Monteriggioni |
After Strove, I
passed by hotel Pietretto and Le Caldane, name of some etruscan
baths; It downed on me then that I did stay in the hotel on an
earlier biking excursion!
I had a sandwich
lunch in San Gimignano, as busy with tourists as during previous visits. I had thought of the city as a
possible overnight place if I was too tired but since it was early
and I still had some energy decided to keep going to Gambassi Terme,
a much less touristy city, where I had reserved a hotel. Exiting
San Gimignano I met an australian couple who told me Gambassi Terme
was a pleasant village with a nice pilgrim hostel.
Uphill track before reaching (read push the bike!) Gambassi terme. In that area they prune their olive trees very differently from us in Umbria.
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| different pruning style |
I rode in town to
check the hotel I had reserved, it looked too quiet and I
decided to try the pilgrim hostel in pieve di santa Maria.
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| pieve di santa Maria |
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| entrance to santa maria |
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| court yard |
Very nice
reception and they had a room with three beds that I could had all to myself, at a very reasonable cost including dinner and breakfast.
After showering I walked to Gambassi for a hot chocolate and
croissant and to stretch legs. Dinner was a communal meal with a
group of international students (I would rate them a bit spoiled) from
some elitist college in Switzerland, and a lonely biker who was riding
from the Uk to Singapore! Expected time of travel 9-12 months going
through greece, turkey, iran and some ex-russian republics, russia
and down towards south east asia. A nice young guy.
Great restful
quiet night.
Gambassi
terme-Lucca (72 km, 750 D+, 7h00)
Cloudy and cool
morning, I regretted not taking my biking mid season jacket specially
since the track was going downhill on asphalt and the wind was cold.
It did not last too long and back uphill to get warm. Since the ride for
the day was over 70 km but with a moderate vertical climb (700 m), I
had an option to stop in Altopascio if I was too tired to reach
Lucca.
Very pleasant track
along landscapes looking like crete senesi under some welcome sun.
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| track after Gambassi terme |
Enjoyable ride through San Miniato, Fucecchio and stopped for a nice
seafood lunch at Altopascio. Today I was NOT going to miss a decent
lunch.
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| enttance to san miniato |
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| frescoe in Fucecchio |
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| one has to eat! |
Then a monotonous
ride on asphalt roads, flat fortunately, to reach Lucca. I checked
in the hotel and decided to walk on the walls surrounding the city.
Strong windstorm followed by a few drops, but Lucca avoided the major
rain storm which fell on the area I just came from.
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| san Michele in Foro, Lucca |
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| storm over san Michele in Foro, Lucca |
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| corso Garibaldi with magnolia grandiflora |
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| magnolia grandiflora |
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| magnolia grandiflora |
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| san Michele in Foro |
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| san Michele in Foro |
Nice dinner next to
the hotel.
Lucca-Massa (MS) (52 km, 1000 D+, 5h45)
Brilliant sunshine
this morning, but still cool. A bad section
with steep hill and destroyed trail where I had to push the bike.
Too much asphalt roads to Camaiore.
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| along canal |
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| along canal |
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| along canal |
After
Camaiore, just after the villa of Zita
di Borbone,
last empress of austria,
I had to carry (not push!) the bike up another nasty narrow trail, just
when I though I was done with the uphill.
As Massa and carrara are known for their marble activities, I passed a few marble yards along the canal.
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| local specialty |
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| more canal |
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| and more marble! |
Upon reaching the top of a hill, I finally caught sight of the sea, track passes near a old castle and then heads down
to ride on a
long and dangerous section on via aurelia with heavy traffic and no
reserved space for bike or walkers. Before going down to Massa main piazza I passed below castelo
aghinolfi.
 |
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| first glance of the sea |
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| again |
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| castelo aghinolfi |
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| castelo aghinolfi |
and down to the end of the trip for me. Nice simple lunch
at cafe di piazza aranci.
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| one is hungry when biking |
Got back to Siena by train.
Comments:
I would recommend following the francigena on foot with a mountain bike and not the bike tracks. Build-up areas are no fun, and I would avoid the section Camaiore to Sarzana of the via Francigena.