The historic streets of Sicily, once under Roman control, passed hand to hand to become the cornerstone of the Norman road system. The impressive Via Francigena thus underlined the power of control, administrative and political, exercised by the Franks. The Magna Via Francigena is also attested in a donation in Greek from 1096 as one of the borders along which the Norman diocese of Messina ran. Magna, the attribute given to this path for its greatness, was the appellation that preceded the noun Via in the notarial documents, which is almost always in the presence of a road of ancient memory, often Roman.
The figures of the Magna Via Francigena
Length: 186 km
Stops: 9
Maximum Altitude: 978m
How long is the Magna Via Francigena?
The Magna Via Francigena from Palermo to Agrigento is 186 kilometres in length.
What are the stops of the Magna Via Francigena?
The Magna Via Francigena covers more than 180 kilometres between Palermo and Agrigento, crossing all of Sicily from sea to sea in 9 stops.
It is a path of fields and trails, which mainly develops on dirt roads and partly on paved roads with limited traffic. Only the exit from Palermo and the arrival to Agrigento have a consistent presence of asphalt and cars.
Palermo ➔ Santa Cristina Gela 25,4
2 Santa Cristina Gela ➔ Corleone 26,4
3 Corleone ➔ Prizzi 20,1
4 Prizzi ➔ Castronovo di Sicilia 24,5
5 Castronovo di Sicilia ➔ Cammarata / San Giovanni Gemini 12,5
Q1 Cammarata / San Giovanni Gemini ➔ Santo Stefano Quisquina 19,4
Q2 Santo Stefano Quisquina ➔ Cammarata / San Giovanni Gemini 17,6
6 Cammarata / San Giovanni Gemini ➔ Sutera 18,7
7 Sutera ➔ Racalmuto / Grotte 25,3
8 Racalmuto / Grotte ➔ Joppolo Giancaxio 19,9
9 Joppolo Giancaxio ➔ Agrigento 13,9
When to go
From May to the start of September, the climate is very hot and dry along the grain fields of the central part of the Via: you cross large sunny spaces and the temperatures are high; from late October and throughout the winter, it rains frequently, even abundantly, that swell the streams making the path uncomfortable and impractical. Snowfalls are not uncommon, especially in the mountain section of the Via. In the case of heavy rain or snow, we recommend that you do not expose yourself to unnecessary risks, evaluate the practicability with stage representatives and host committees, and choose the winter variants of the path reported on the guide.
The signs
The Via is entirely traced with conventional European signs (stakes bordered with white and red, and arrows on a white background with a red tip) accompanied by the characteristic traveller’s symbol of the Via Francigena of Sicily, which depicts a pilgrim with a saddlebag, staff, cloak and wide-brimmed hat. For Magna Via, the coat of arms of the traveller is red.
How to obtain the credential of the Magna Via Francigena
It is the document that verifies that a pilgrimage is being made for reasons of faith or to live a strong and spiritual experience, and encapsulates the ancient sense of ‘wayfarement’, protected by religious institutions. Today, even in Sicily, the credential identifies the pilgrim and guarantees the authenticity of their experience. It allows access to facilities affiliated with the association which are willing to welcome pilgrims. It is issued only to those who intend to tackle the Via by foot, by bike or on horseback, and if you arrive at Agrigento or Palermo having travelled at least 100 km by foot and 130 km by bike, you are entitled to obtain the Testimonium.
The document must include the place and date of departure as well as the arrival dates and stamps of the places visited and the hospitality facilities where you were welcomed: churches, hostels and accommodation. The credential for Magna Via Francigena is issued by the association Amici dei Cammini Francigeni di Sicilia. You must apply by filling out an online form at the link http://www.viefrancigenedisicilia.it/credenziale.php. The volunteers of the Association will respond to the email to agree on delivery terms.
