In the footsteps of pilgrims: the Via Francigena at Castelluccio Valmaggiore 

An ancient itinerary in the heart of inland Puglia

The Via Francigena is not just a geographical route: it is one of the great roads of European history. Born as a pilgrim route between Canterbury and Rome, and later extended towards Jerusalem, for centuries it crossed the continent, carrying pilgrims, merchants and crusaders from one end of the known world to the other. In Puglia, the network of routes from Rome reached the Monti Dauni, following ancient lines of communication linking the Apennines with the plain. Castelluccio Valmaggiore lies in this land of passage, where the Via Francigena del Sud intertwines with rural paths, historic roads and the links between the villages of the Alta Valle del Celone. Its position helps tell an important part of the history of travel and pilgrimage in inland Puglia.

Talking about the Via Francigena at Castelluccio Valmaggiore means talking about a territory that mass tourism has not yet worn out, where every path carries layers of meaning going back to the Middle Ages.

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The Via Francigena del Sud: history and route through the Monti Dauni

The origins of the route and the role of Puglia

The Via Francigena del Sud is the southern branch of the great European route. It ideally continues the great European itinerary beyond Rome, through southern Lazio, Campania and Puglia. Here the routes headed for the Adriatic ports, including Bari, Brindisi and Otranto, from which it was possible to sail for the East and the Holy Land. This made Puglia a strategic corridor, crossed by thousands of people on the move between the 11th and 14th centuries.

The route entered the region through the Monti Dauni, the most inland and mountainous part of Capitanata, and followed ancient roads, some of which coincide with the tratturi, the transhumance routes that crossed the territory from north to south. The relationship between the Via Francigena del Sud, the ancient Via Traiana and the network of drove roads is one of the most interesting aspects of the history of this territory. These different routes, born in different eras and for different needs, crossed neighbouring areas and sometimes shared the same links. Castelluccio Valmaggiore is part of this territorial system, tied to movements between the mountains, the Celone valley and the Tavoliere.

From the Taverna di San Vito to the Celone valley

In the Alta Valle del Celone, the Via Francigena del Sud follows one of the main historic routes into Puglia from Campania. The itinerary crosses the territory of Faeto, skirting the southern slopes of Monte San Vito, where the old Taverna di San Vito and the little church dedicated to the saint stand. These places bear witness to the importance of the routes across the Apennines, connecting local communities with the great highways.

Continuing towards Monte Buccolo, the route meets a branch leading to Celle di San Vito, while the main line continues towards Troia. Castelluccio Valmaggiore belongs to the same network of links, in which old roads, country paths and present-day hiking routes allow you to explore the history and landscape of the valley. For those who also want to get to know Castelluccio, the nearby Sentiero Frassati of Puglia offers a documented hiking link with Celle di San Vito and Faeto.

Trekking in the Alta Valle del Celone along the Via Francigena does not require extraordinary fitness, but a genuine willingness to walk slowly, look at the territory with curiosity and accept slowness as a way of knowing.

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Slow travel in the inland areas: a different way of travelling

Slow travel in Puglia’s inland areas has found in historic walking routes one of its main vehicles. In this sense the Via Francigena is not just a tourist product: it is a cultural practice that gives walkers a dimension of the territory that would otherwise stay invisible.

Walking these paths means encountering vernacular rural architecture, abandoned farmhouses, wayside shrines along the drove roads and woods where silence is still a real presence. It also means getting close to the food and wine of the Monti Dauni: the typical products of this land, from durum wheat to sheep’s cheeses, from seasonal vegetables to the wines of the Subapennines, which along the way become a precise marker of territorial identity rather than an optional extra.

Those who choose to explore Castelluccio Valmaggiore and the historic routes of the Alta Valle del Celone discover a heritage in which the natural landscape and the memory of communities are still closely intertwined. The village, with its medieval remains, its fountains, its food traditions and its closeness to the hiking routes, can become a stop of discovery for those crossing this part of the Monti Dauni at a slow pace.

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Discover the whole territory

The Via Francigena del Sud is one of the great historic itineraries that help tell the story of the Alta Valle del Celone, together with the old rural roads and the paths linking Castelluccio Valmaggiore, Celle di San Vito and Faeto. This village of the Alta Valle del Celone holds a layered history, tenacious local traditions and a farming culture that has left traces everywhere: in the churches, the feasts, the food and the dialect.

Explore more places in Castelluccio Valmaggiore and the Alta Valle del Celone: discover the folk traditions, nature itineraries, the history of the village, local events and the authentic flavours of this inland corner of Puglia.