Via Degli Dei / Gallery
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- 000. An Overview Map of the Via Degli Dei, The Way of God, between Bologna and Florence
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- 01. The hike starts in the middle of Bologna and heads SW through the city under the porticos for which Bologna is famous.
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- 02. After about 5 km under porticos the route reaches San Luca, the most important religious edifice in Bologna.
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- 03. Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca is an impressive basillica on a hilltop to the south of Bologna which the Via Degli Dei goes past
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- 04. Beside the River Reno in the hot humid jungle like terrain. On a still day in the height of summer it was sweltering
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- 05. After a morning in the uncomfortable heat of the River Reno valley the path finally started to climb up into the cooler mixed forest towards Monte del Frate
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- 06. Nearing the top og Monte Adone, 654m, and looking south to where we are going. Monzuno is the village in the distance upper centre in the photo. Brento is out of sight behind the near trees to the bottom left
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- 07. The lovely sleeply village of Brento lay at the SE foot of Monte Adone and had a few B&B’s and a trattoria.
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- 08. The large characterful church at Monzuno lay to the west of the main square on a small prow.
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- 09. Typical Appeninne Mountains countryside just to the north of the beautiful village of Madonna del Fornelli, where there were simple hotels, resturants and shops
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- 10. The small abandonned farmhouse at Capannone just south of Monte Bastione was in a meadow of rippened hay
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- 11. In the mixed decidious forest, here dominated by beech, but sometimes oak or chestnut so the south of Monte Bastione. There were sections of old Roman Road here too.
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- 12. Between the extensive decidious forests around Monte Bastione were glades of meadow. These forests were typical of the Appennine Mountains.
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- 13. On day 3, between the village of Madonna dei Fornelli and the Passo della Futa was the highest point of the Via Degli Dei at Le Banditacce, 1204m.
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- 14. A section of old Roman Road between Le Banditacce and Passo della Futa. Much of this road was still buried but some small sections had been excavated
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- 15. Approaching the quiet tranquil village of Sant Agata after descending the long forested ridhe from Passo della Futa on Day 04.
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- 16. The church in Sant Agata was the crowning glory of this beautiful village. It was just off the small square where there was a lively cafe, which also had some accommodation.
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- 17. Typical Tuscany countryside between Sant Agata and San Piero a Sieve where avenues of Italian cypress, Cupressus sempervirens, lined many farm roads
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- 18. Fiona in front of the La Pieve B&B in the small town of San Piero a Sieve at the start of our penultimate day, which was also the longest at nearly 30 km
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- 19. Leaving San Piero a Sieve there were fields of sunflowers in full bloom across swathes of hillside
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- 20. On the way up to Trebbio we passed a few well tended olive grooves.
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- 21. Above the Sieve valley is the Villa del Trebbio, an 900 Medici villa with a crenellated tower, which is surrounded by tall, monumental cypresses.
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- 22. Santuario di Montesenario is a near 900 year old hermitage in the conifer forests on top of a hill. It had a very small shop but it is closed for 3 hours for prayer in the middle of the day
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- 23. Between the Santuario di Montesenario and the hamlet of Vetta le Croci to the south the Via Degli Dei followed a shallow ridge top cover in meadows. There were distant views here to Fiesole and Florence beyond in the valley
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- 24. The town of Fiesole lies on a hilltop overlooking Florence. For centuries it has been a salubrious place for the wealthy of Florence to come and relax in.
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- 25. The main square in Fiesole is called Piazza Mino. In the evening it is a vibrant meeting place with many restaurants spilling their seating across the square
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- 26. The view from Fiesole over Florence across the lower hills with scattered olive grooves and large villas before the suburbs start. In the middle of the picture is the 750 year old Firenze Duomo, formally known as Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower.
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- 27. As we went through the suburbs of Florence beside the Mugnone river the Tuscany countryside was soon replaced by busy urban living.
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- 28. The end of the Via Degli Dei is the magnificent Florence Cathedral. Firenze Duomo. It is about 750 years old. It is possible to go round the Cathedral and also up the tower but the queues in the summer are prohibitive.