Starting from Piazza del Plebiscito, walk along Via Ascenzi where there is a small heart-shaped Romanesque church, Santa Maria della Salute. Arriving at Piazza del Sacrario, cross the car park alongside the Tourist Office until you come out of Porta Faul, where, below a well-known fast food restaurant, you will find Strada Signorino, a variant of the Via Francigena. The route crosses the Tagliate Etrusche, also known as Vie Cave, on an asphalt road. These are one of the works of the past that make the territory of Tuscia even more unique: in fact, there are no similar examples anywhere else in the world. Despite the technological limitations of thousands of years ago, the Etruscans created these imposing corridors, carved into the volcanic rock typical of these areas. These megalithic works with walls up to thirty metres high are very steep and often feature hollows, niches and some engraved symbols relating to the underworld and fertility. Thanks to the temperature range, an ideal habitat for mosses and ferns has been created. Beyond theories and history, these are magical places that are well worth a visit: in the silence and beauty of nature, one can still feel a special, magnetic atmosphere. The route continues along the Risiere road and safely skirts the motorway, then along cart tracks to Vetralla. The route has modest ups and downs between fields and woods, mostly on asphalt roads, until the long climb through Vetralla, Pietrara and Vico Martino. After a flat section, a long descent begins towards the delightful villages of Capranica and Sutri, a true hidden gem along the Francigena, with its amphitheatre carved into the tuff, the Mitreo and the beautiful historic centre.
Water and refreshment points only in Vetralla and Capranica.