The silence and the wonder of nature: the Way of St Bartholomew

The Way of St Bartholomew join places dedicated to the worship of the saint between Emilia Romagna and Tuscany: Fiumalbo, Cutigliano, Spedaletto and Pistoia. lt is a pedestrian path, born in 2015 from an idea of the members of the Gruppo Studi Alta Val di Lima di Cutigliano that involved in the project many associations. It is practicable in five stages, also suitable for families with children, which allows you to enjoy the natural and historical-religious beauties of the territory of the Pistoia mountains. The entire route, between Fiumalbo and Pistoia is about 100 kilometers long and one can extend it on the Modena side to other places dedicated to the cult of the Saint. For a while now, they opened the “Lucchese door” of the Way, with a path that leads from Popiglio to Vico Pancellorum and then to Limano, Cocciglia, San Cassiano and Pieve di Controne.
Leaving the routes, the traveler can easily reach the center of the various villages included in the route and then find shops, drugstores, restaurants, coffee shops, and places to stay and rest. In addition to this, it is an excellent opportunity to get to know typical products and to taste the simple and tasty dishes of the local tradition. Along the stages of the path, places used for overnight stay and supply are guaranteed (https://camminodisanbartolomeo.com/info-/).Those places are linked by an uncommon sense of hospitality and respect of the wayfarer exploring the mountain areas.
The first stage of the Way goes from Fiumalbo to Cutigliano: they are 23 kilometers, which can be covered in a 7-8 hours walk passing through majestic chestnut, beech, and fir trees. From the village of Cutigliano, the second stage leads to Piteglio with a 16 km path (5-6 hours) passing near the Torri di Popiglio and the extraordinary Castruccio Bridge to reach the village of Piteglio. The third stretch leads the pilgrim to Pontepetri in about 20 kilometers (6 hours): you through the hamlet of Prataccio and then, after a nice journey in a forest of chestnut and beech trees, you get first to the sources of the Reno and then to Prunetta. From here, the road continues up to Le Piastre and then, after the glacier of the Madonnina, to Pontepetri.
The fourth stage is the shortest one: 10 kilometers which can be travelled in a little more than four hours: you start from the fountain of the Duke, you go up to the Incisa Pass and from there first to Piastreta and then to the pass of the Hill, before a short descent to the beautiful village of Spedaletto. The last stage, mostly downhill, leads the traveler to Pistoia, after 22 kilometers and 6-7 hours of walking: you walk along the Limentra of Sambuca, through a beech, chestnut, and fir wood. As you pass the junction for Badia in Taona, after Poggione, you walk the Via Baiana to Baggio. From here, you descend in Mengarone, Valdibure, until reaching Pistoia and, eventually, the end of the Way, located in front of the church of San Bartolomeo in Pantano. Although it is a devotional journey, the Way of St Bartholomew is recommended to anyone who wishes to experience a walk immersed in nature, not necessarily and exclusively connoted by the religious sense. Who intends to walk the stages of the Way of Saint Bartholomew, can obtain the credentials, downloadable from the website www.camminodisanbartolomeo.com . For information: info@camminodisanbartolomeo.com, gds.altavaldilima@gmail.com