A Path of Research and Development Along Via Francigena’s Cultural Routes on Mount Amiata

Abstract

The contribution intends to show the approach and the methodology of historical geography used in the research and to corroborate the identification, as well as the officialization , of an ancient route in southern Tuscany. At the foot of Mount Amiata, the route was closely interconnected to the Via Francigena and likewise the history of the villages in the area. The research has involved a thorough study of ancient written sources and historical cartography, a significant part of the research was undertaken in the field using a multidisciplinary approach. Archeology was particularly important, with the fundamental support of GPS survey tools and a consequent digital return and analysis by Geographical Information System (GIS). The aim is not only to produce scientific material for the rediscovery of a historical-geographic context, but also to offer an important opportunity to make the most of the natural resources and the cultural, historical and artistic discoveries with the itinerary as the central idea. Following the concrete results obtained from the officialization of the itinerary, the research is an important witness to the landscape transformations and to the territorial development that the route, as in the past, continues to encourage.