The Villa di Vorno will soon be helping travelers on the pilgrim trail—and hopefully we will too

With Shandra at the future Villa di Vorno

During our years of living in Toscana, we’ve heard countless references to the Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrimage route running from Canterbury, England, through France, Switzerland and Italy to Rome. The route has particular relevance for us because it runs through both Lucca and Altopascio. One of its many variants actually passes through Montecarlo.

I could, and probably will, someday devote an entire blog to this important trail, but what has me particularly excited at this moment is that Lucy and I could be involved in future years in helping modern day pilgrims on their journey through our section of Italy. An old friend, Don Mansfield, recently called to let us know that an organization Lucy and I were active in during our college years is purchasing a convent in Vorno that will be used to host travelers walking on the Via Francigena.

“No way!,” I said to Don. “I can see Vorno from here, on my terrazza.” On the west side of our house, we look out across the plain of Lucca, where we can see the mountains that separate Lucca from Pisa. Vorno is on the hillside, near the source of the Aqueduct of Nottolini, the main water source for Lucca. “Way,” Don replied, and he gave us the contact information for the person in charge of arranging the purchase of the convent, Shandra Galloway.

Shandra has been a long-time staff member of Cru, and she is currently in Lucca working on the many steps that will be required to arrange the purchase. Cru was founded in 1951 by Bill Bright as Campus Crusade for Christ, and it has a branch here operating under the name Agape Italia. Shandra took us on a tour of the grounds of the convent, which is named the Casa di Preghiere Sorelle Dorotee—the house of prayer of the sisters of Saint Dorothy. The villa, once a vacation home of the wealthy Mansi family of Lucca, was donated by the family to the sisters. It is now primarily maintained by only two elderly nuns. They have offered to sell to Cru at a very reasonable price because they know that the property will be used to offer hospitality in the name of Christ, Shandra said.

The villa is a 17,000 square foot, four-story home with 20 bedrooms—each with a private bathroom—a professional kitchen, several great rooms, two chapels and an expansive terrace. It sits on four acres, including an olive grove, fruit trees and a small vineyard, and when the purchase is finalized, it will be known as the Villa di Vorno Pilgrimage House. Excerpts from the Cru vision statement describe how the villa will be used:

Most pilgrims arrive in the afternoon. They will be greeted by a group of volunteers who have been trained to welcome people into the Villa, give them an orientation of what is available to them during their stay, and show them to their room. The greeters will be like Porters in the Benedictine Tradition—welcome people, offer them a cup of cold water, an espresso, or tea, and show them the place. In their room, there will be a short description of who we are and a free Bible with some highlighted “travel narratives” that they can take along with them. They can rest and shower before dinner, take care of any physical ailments, connect with other pilgrims, or spend time reflecting on their journey.

There will also be an opportunity for prayer and a brief voluntary chapel service before dinner. Dinner will be prepared and served by volunteers at around 7 pm (a little early for Italians, but pilgrims tend to rise early to walk in the cool of the day). At dinner, one of the volunteers or staff will share their own spiritual journey. The staff and volunteers will offer to stay around after dinner if anyone wants to talk further about their faith or questions about faith. Staff and pilgrims will be trained on how to enter gentle conversations and share their faith.

Each of the pilgrims will be given some stationery, a pen, and a poem template. They will be encouraged to write an “I Am From” poem before they leave and post them on the guest-wall so other pilgrims can read them (there will also be a wall on the Villa di Vorno website where they can post their poems.

In the morning, there will be a light breakfast (pastries & coffee) and a blessing given to the pilgrims as they set out on the next leg of their journey. When pilgrims leave, the staff and volunteers will clean and prep for the next group; and they will have the opportunity to walk a short leg of the trail or explore the cities of Lucca, Pisa, and on longer breaks, Cinque Terre or Florence.

This courtyard could be used to 
welcome travelers or serve as
an outside dining area.

Shandra said that Cru is already operating a similar and very successful guest house in Spain, and there is already a waiting list of volunteers. She foresees that church groups will be eager to sign up to spend a week in Italy to serve as hosts. Shandra and her husband are American, but both lived in Florence for many years and speak Italian, so they will likely live on the site and direct operations. The ministry will also need a few other full-time staff members for ongoing operations and to train each group of volunteers.

Lucy and I will very likely be among the volunteers, and until the sale is completed, we’ll also try to help in other ways. We introduced Shandra at our church in Altopascio on Sunday, and that could open some valuable relationships. We also introduced her to Luigi Spadoni, who operates a vital organization that ministers to the needy around the world. By coincidence, the headquarters of Spazio Spadoni is only 13 minutes by car from Vorno. Luigi gave Shandra some vital tips based on his experiences and expertise, and no doubt he will be a valuable resource in the coming years. He has a broad background in both business and charitable services.

Luigi Spadoni & Shandra meet at Spazio Spadoni
for an exchange of friendship and knowledge.

The earliest the Villa at Vorno could open would be the fall of 2024, perhaps on a trial basis. At this point, Cru does not have all the 3 million euros needed to close the sale, and the organization is still looking for more donors. Cru could possibly rent the villa while fund-raising continues. However it works out, it’s going to be fun to watch as this exciting ministry develops further. For additional information, photos and a chance to contribute to the cause, you can check out the website for Villa di Vorno.