SECULAR TUSCAN PILGRIMAGES:
THE PILGRIM ROUTE
Tuscany is full of more or less known pilgrimages: today we're going to discover the most suggestive and panoramic path near Livorno
Moving on foot or going to long walks seems to be, more and more, a fashion. It is no longer just sportsmen and trekking enthusiasts to seek out destinations to venture into nature at the weekend, but more and more people are looking for paths to live the territory in a more authentic way and, why not, make small inner journeys: walking helps to think, to reflect and to strengthen the spirit.
In this respect, Tuscany is certainly one of the destinations that has more to offer in the Italian panorama but let’s focus on Livorno, which offers one of the most beautiful and scenic paths: “the Pilgrim Route”, a circular route immersed in the north-western Mediterranean forest of the Livorno hills.
Access is very simple thanks to the fact that the path is always well signposted and has several access points (also by bus from the centre of Livorno) that allow you to walk down it all or only in a small part. Thanks to the alternation of flat sections, climbs and downhills, moreover, it is a path suitable for everyone.
The route develops partly within the Forest of Montenero, almost entirely covered by the Mediterranean forest and holm oak’ woods, and partly outdoors. To try to understand the soul of the Livorno area it is necessary to follow it slowly so as to be able to listen to the sound of the sea waves against the rocks, to feel the wind of the nearby hills and to observe the sunbeams making the coast and the cornfields shine. In other words, it is to be traveled in harmony with nature.
From the path, moreover, it is possible to access the Sanctuary of Montenero, which is located at the top of Montenero, a very suggestive point from which you can enjoy a splendid view of the sea and the port. There are so many pilgrimages around this place, whose farm is widespread all over the world: you only need to think that even the people living in Livorno renew their vows to the Montenero Virgin Mary, who made several miracles in favor of the whole city, every 27 January through fasting.