Via Francigena - Day 23

The final day. While starting the day with a bit of joy and optimism, of the long journey coming to an end there was also a bit of sadness to end what has been a fantastic experience for me. Three weeks of walking and discovering new cities and churches, and learning the stories and traditions behind them as well as encountering many people along the way.

Puliga is a region which I have really enjoyed traveling through, it really reminds me of the Eyer Peninsula, especially this time of year with the hot dry weather and coastline that changes from sandy to rocky to cliffs. It probably has 100 times more olive trees though, and the long lonely days of waking through them I was kept a constant tune comming from them in the form of the cicardars.

Only 18 km today and I would reach the final stop on the road no more further south could I go without the aid of a boat.

https://aleteia.org/2023/01/29/our-lady-of-the-end-of-the-world-a-shrine-founded-by-st-peter/

The sanctuary of Our Lady of the End of the World. End of the world as in end of the land world. Believed to be founded by St Peter himself when he first arrived from Jerusalem by boat. Said to be a bishopric by the year 57AD. Founded on a pagan temple when St Peter converted the local population to Christianity. The entrance to the sanctuary has two angles each side with a statue of Mary on the pillar and a working lighthouse behind.

The road out of Tricase heading towards Gagliano del Capo.

A small snake on the wall along the road to Santa Maria di Leuca.

Down the road and a light house appeared over the trees.

Closer again and pearing through the trees I could see the port of St Maria di Leuca.

The statue of Our Lady of the End of the World.

The basilica, was formally made a sanctuary by Pope Benedict XVI in 200 and is now a Papal minor basilica.

Our Lady of The End of the World, believed to have saved some sailors in a ship wreck when they prayed to her.

Overlooking the port and city of Santa Maria di Leuca, from the sanctuary.

The staircase leading down to the port has a constructed waterfall between two set of stairs. It looks like it has not been operating for quite a few years, and is quite overgrown.

The stairs leading up to the sanctuary from the port.

I ended up staying in Leuca for five nights and was able to enjoy the sanctuary and town at many time of the day. Sunset.

Evening.

Over looking the town at night with the waterfall lit up by coloured lights.

The foreshore of S M di Leuca.

Overall the walk took me 23 days from Thursday 22 June to Friday 14 July covering over 400km approximately the distance from Streaky Bay to Port Pirie. I offered the walk up for vocations in the Dioces of Port Pirie, for the young and not so young to be able to respond to Gods call.

On completion of my pilgrimage and a few days rest in rest in Rome it was off to Lisbon for the World Youth Day.