One of the first places that I will cross during my walk, will be Mortara, a town near Pavia, along the Via Francigena. Mortara history is rooted in the centuries, so much that the existence of the town is already confirmed in the IV century AD, when Gaudenzio, Novara bishop, wanted to build two chapels at its entrance: one was sacred to Saint Peter and the other to Saint Eusebius. The latter started working as a parish for Mortara. Both chapels were built at about 1,5 km from the town and soon became an important stop for those on their way to Rome, or back home to northern and western Europe. Many important people passed from here: in 440 the future pope Leo, in 494 Saint Epifanio, in 574 pope Stephen II, in 575 pope Paul I, and, in the spring of 773, the Frank Ambassy coming back from the meeting with pope Adrian I.

Not long after the passage of this group, the church of St. Eusebius finally came in History: on October 12, 773, in fact, just near the two chapels of St. Peter and St. Eusebius,  took place the final battle between the Franks led by Charlemagne and the Lombards guided by their king Desiderius. The battle was extremely bloody and both sides suffered heavy losses, but the Franks triumphed over the Lombards. Despite the victory, however, two of the Paladins of King Charles lost their lives: Amelius d’Auvergne, the king’s cupbearer, and Amicus Beyre, the royal treasurer.

Charlemagne ordered that they should be buried with all the honors, each under the altar of one of the two chapels: Amicus under St. Peter and Amelius under St. Eusebius. The next day, however, the remains of Amicus and Amelius were found both under the altar of the chapel of St. Eusebius, one beside the other. And so, the church of St. Eusebius passed into legend.

Afther these miraculous events, father Albinus, monk and adviser of Charlemagne, expressed his desire to found a monastery to be aggregated to the church of St. Eusebius, and the king gave it rich donations. The guesthouse of St. Eusebius was well adapted to accomodate the students of Albinus who settled here and took their vows when he became bishop of Vercelli. At his death, in 801, Albinus asked to be buried next to the two Paladins. The monks, all of Frankish origin, dedicated their monastery to Saint Albinus from Angers and adopted the rule of St. Augustine, while enjoying extensive autonomy. St. Albinus, from that moment until today, always remained a popular stop for pilgrims.

In the spring of 1999, two sarcophagi were discovered just below the altar of the church of St. Albinus, during the works for its restauration. One of them, as well as being consistent with the dating to the Carolingian period, contained the remains of a man of great prestige, buried with his legs crossed, according to custom adopted by the ecclesiastics of high rank and, later, by the knights of the Temple. Even today, the walls of the apse of the Romanesque church of St. Albinus, bear the engravings left by many pilgrims who found refuge here.