Via Francigena is a road that was built during the Middle Ages, which begins in Canterbury, England, passes through the Alps and leads down to Rome. The road was long and difficult to walk. In order to restore their energy, the medieval pilgrims would stop and seek shelter in the numerous rest stops along the way. Parma, both the city and the province, was an important junction because it was the main pass between the Apennines. There were many parish churches, abbeys and hospitals in the area. Today, 28 of them are still standing and together they make for an incredible look at Romanesque architecture. During the Middle Ages, the trip along the Via Francigena, which began as a penitential experience, led to great changes, like the rebirth of cities and the territory as a whole.

We suggest starting along the Monte Bardone road. Monte Bardone is the part of the Via Francigena that passes from the Po River valley and the city centers of Fidenza and Parma towards Cisa. In Collecchio, Vicofertile, Talignano, and Fornovo, you will find churches that tell the history of the hopes and fears of the medieval pilgrim. These historical sites can also be meaningful to the modern day pilgrim looking to find his own cultural and spiritual roots.

At the beginning of the 12th century, probably due to a strong earthquake, many of the churches and hostels underwent major reconstruction. The new buildings contain images and icons that told stories of atonement and redemption of one’s sins. To the attentive eye of the pilgrim, the walls of the churches and chapels were a depiction of the road to salvation. The symbols and allegorical scenes brought additional value to the sacred buildings located along Monte Bardone. 

Our tour begins at the Baptistry of Parma. Above the western door of the baptistery, the lunetta depicts the scene of the final judgment and looks over the entrance of the catechumen who enters the baptistery on Easter’s Eve to receive the benediction and salvation from the baptismal water. 

Near the entrance to the city, you will find the church of Santa Croce, built in the first decades of the 12th century. The eternal struggle between good and evil is depicted on the columns of the church.
The images of warriors, griffons and sirens were selected to remind the pilgrim that their walk, both physical and spiritual, is not certain and that evil could be hidden behind any tree or beyond any footstep.

Vicofertile, a city rich in water, welcomes the foreigner to its baptismal font. A priest and clergymen place holy water on your forehead in the lustral act of baptism. On the capitals of the font, there are images of monsters representing evil and human sins. There are also images of fresh vegetables that represent the heavenly peace that becomes available to man upon baptism.

Just beyond the forest-covered hills outside Parma, lies the Roman city of Fornovo – from the Latin Forum Novum – and its church rich in sculptures. On the church’s façade, you will find the image of Greed, flattened by the weight of his safe and choked by bags filled with money. Greed is being devoured by satin in a corner of hell in a scene straight out of Dante. It is this statue, which is now headless, that welcomes the weary pilgrim.

In the lunettes on the outside of the church and on the capitals of the columns inside – like in Vicofertile and Collecchio – you will find more symbolical scenes. There are figures of people loaded down with baskets and knapsacks in order to make the journey up and over the mountain to the five Roman basilicas, which have their own symbolic value.  These scenes were chosen to remind the pilgrims of what was needed to salve their souls from vice. Other scenes include the figure of Pride, hidden under a donkey skin and playing the lyre; a magical temptress symbolizes Lust; and Wrath is represented the scene of dogs chewing on Actaeon’s limbs. However, the pilgrim’s real warning can be found on the other side of the nave. The martyrdom of Santa Margherita is depicted over the alter. The story of her martyrdom begins with moment when Margherita, a sheepherder, is called into the Christian faith and is judged by Olibrio, the Roman prefect. Following the images from right to left and alternating from top to bottom, one learns that Margherita was tortured repeatedly for having not given up her own faith. In the final scene, the sacred martyr wins a fight with the devil, dressed as a dragon.

Images of passion and glory can also be found in Bardone. Here, you will find a somewhat rustic depiction of the crucifixion of Christ, clearly influenced by the work for Benedetto Antelami. The figure of Christ is framed by a mandorla and is at the center of a procession of angles with censers and candles.
The four evangelists, represented by their individual symbols, are also present to tell the story of Christ’s life and resurrection into eternal life. Eternal life is the goal of the pilgrimage and the force that pushed the holy bishop and powerful king, who were also depicted in the church at Fornovo, to embark on the walk to Rome. The apex of their journey would have been here in the mountain pass.