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Risks and Dangers in the Via Francigena T hrough all the Middle Ages, the wild territories like forests, swamps and mountainous lands were dangerous for the presence of brigands and ferocious animals.For this, the travel across the valley of the river Arno, the Cerbaie hills, the swamps of Sesto and Fucecchio, the mountainous system of Pizzorne and mount Pisano, that separate the Arno’s valley from the Serchio’s, was very dangerous. The pilgrims who travelled across these lands took various precautions as not to travel alone and not to stop at inns of bad fame.Paolo di Messer Pace from Certaldo, in his book Libro dei buoni costumi (Book of good Customs) gave the following advice: - keep the destination of your trip secret; - be diffident of other people; - do not dress in rich clothes. He knew the risks of travel because he was a corn merchant and he had often to go through these territories. His book will become a guide for the pilgrims and for the travellers of the Middle Ages. In addition to brigands, there were many other dangers in the forests: wolves and bears which often arrived at the threshold of villages to find food. Rewards were paid by the governments of Pisa and other towns for every dead wolf or bear, and bear meat was sold on the market of Lucca. |