After crossing the Swiss border at Villa di Chiavenna, the Columban way passes through Chiavenna and first follows the shore of Lake Como to Lecco and then that of the Adda river to Vaprio d’Adda. Before heading towards Milan, walk along the Martesana canal.
In Lombardy, from the center of Milan to the Via Francigena, it coincides for a long stretch with the Abbots Way, born from the study of a path – in collaboration with the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU) of the Politecnico of Milan – now available in the website   www.valledeimonaci.org

Before reaching the ford on the river Po in Corte Sant’Andrea, the itinerary crosses the only hill in the Milan area and reaches the village of San Colombano al Lambro, where the memory of the passage of the Irish monk is still alive.
In the Piacenza area, the itinerary gradually rises from the plain on the hills around the Trebbia Valley, crossing suggestive villages of the Apennines to the town of Bobbio, where you can still visit the monastery and the tomb of the Saint. 
It is one of the 19 religious trails, promoted by the Lombardy Region, where the pilgrim and the tourist coexist.