(and you can even do it from the comfort of your armchair!)

Author guest post from Rachael Martin

Italy: land of pizza, pasta, Prosecco, gelato, the Renaissance, rolling hills, sublime views, opera, fashion – need I go on? We all have our own dreams of Italy, maybe you’ve been there, maybe you’re planning a holiday there right at this moment. But did you know that Italy is also a country of ways and trails, routes for pilgrims, merchants and armies, each with a story to tell? 

The idea for my book Walking Italy came to me while I was out walking one day. I was up at Passo dello Spluga, a mountain pass north of Lake Como, which links Italy with Switzerland. Nowadays you’ll find walkers along the Via Spluga trail, but at one time it was the main trade route between Thusis in Switzerland and Chiavenna in Italy, and from then down to Lake Como and on to Milan. Italy is bordered by mountains all along the north, and so any access to the country meant crossing those mountains. The Via Spluga started out as a Roman route, became a strategic trade route for the Duchy of Milan during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries was used by the postal service. These ways and trails that go all across and up and down Italy have a rich history.

What really struck me were the stories behind the places and the people who lived in these places, who travelled through them, and how this shaped the places involved. Take the town of Lucca in Tuscany, for example. It was along the Via Francigena, one of Europe’s most important routes for pilgrims, which started in Canterbury and finished in Rome. It was thanks to the money that the pilgrims brought that Lucca was able to carry out a lot of urban planning, and that has helped to make Lucca the city we visit today.

Walking Italy is a collection of such stories, and bear in mind that you don’t have to be an experienced walker. There are plenty of walks for all abilities. A lot of us also appreciate a nice stroll followed by lunch and comfy bed and breakfast in the evening with a square for aperitivos and dinner. And of course, while you’ll find all the practical information and links to maps and apps for the various walks, there’s plenty for you to enjoy from the comfort of your armchair. Not all of us can get up and go off to do all the things mentioned, and this is something that I keep very much in mind when I’m writing my books. I want to bring Italy to you, my reader, so pour yourself a glass of wine of prosecco, and read on.

This blog post is the first of several I’ll be writing over the next couple of months. I’ll take you along with me on some of the walks mentioned in the book, to give you a taste of what you can find, should you wish to know more.

I hope you enjoy the journey!

Order your copy here.