Via Francigena

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District 108L Lions Club International promotes the Via Francigena

District 108L Lions Club International is at the front line when it come to promoting peace, and the Via Francigena as Cultural Route of the Council of Europe represents the values of peace, respect, dialogue, democracy, and inclusion.

In District 108L (Umbria, Lazio, and Sardinia) the Via Francigena officially crosses through territories located within the region of Lazio and, in this regard, the district lions officer Sara Fresi has created a historical document entitled “Territories of Lazio crossed by the Via Francigena”. This document is a useful contribution for all those who wish to travel the Via Francigena and discover its picturesque landscapes and historical, cultural, monumental beauties. Following is the incipit of the document:

Territories of Lazio crossed by the Via Francigena, by Sara Fresi

In the 7th century the Longobards penetrated the Italian territory, occupying part of the peninsula at that time disputed with the Byzantines. They wanted to connect the Kingdom of Pavia with the southern duchies by means of a safe road across the Apennines, passing through the Cisa Pass: its name in ancient times was Mons Langobardorum, later called Via di Monte Bardone. It was basically a group of roads connected by consular and dirt roads. When the Franks took over in the Carolingian era, the Via di Monte Bardone changed its name to Via Francigena, or “road originating from France”.

Traffic along this route increased and, over the centuries, the road established itself as the main route linking northern and southern Europe, used by masses of pilgrims as well as merchants and armies. It also connected the three ‘Peregrinationes Maiores‘: Santiago de Compostela, the tomb of the Apostle Peter and the Holy Land. The European Network of the Vie Francigene is a legacy linking the present day to the cultural identities of the old continent.

A millenary route that crosses several European countries: England, France, Switzerland, and Italy. The Via Francigena in Italy crosses six regions: Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Lazio. The southern section of the Via Francigena, called the Via Francigena of the South, is a route of approximately 900 km that crosses five regions: Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, Molise, and Puglia. The stretch through the Lazio region is approximately 420 km long.

The whole document (in Italian) can be consulted by clicking here.

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news-en-import

District 108L Lions Club International promotes the Via Francigena

District 108L Lions Club International is at the front line when it come to promoting peace, and the Via Francigena as Cultural Route of the Council of Europe represents the values of peace, respect, dialogue, democracy, and inclusion.

In District 108L (Umbria, Lazio, and Sardinia) the Via Francigena officially crosses through territories located within the region of Lazio and, in this regard, the district lions officer Sara Fresi has created a historical document entitled “Territories of Lazio crossed by the Via Francigena”. This document is a useful contribution for all those who wish to travel the Via Francigena and discover its picturesque landscapes and historical, cultural, monumental beauties. Following is the incipit of the document:

 

Territories of Lazio crossed by the Via Francigena, by Sara Fresi

In the 7th century the Longobards penetrated the Italian territory, occupying part of the peninsula at that time disputed with the Byzantines. They wanted to connect the Kingdom of Pavia with the southern duchies by means of a safe road across the Apennines, passing through the Cisa Pass: its name in ancient times was Mons Langobardorum, later called Via di Monte Bardone. It was basically a group of roads connected by consular and dirt roads. When the Franks took over in the Carolingian era, the Via di Monte Bardone changed its name to Via Francigena, or “road originating from France”.

Traffic along this route increased and, over the centuries, the road established itself as the main route linking northern and southern Europe, used by masses of pilgrims as well as merchants and armies. It also connected the three ‘Peregrinationes Maiores‘: Santiago de Compostela, the tomb of the Apostle Peter and the Holy Land. The European Network of the Vie Francigene is a legacy linking the present day to the cultural identities of the old continent.

A millenary route that crosses several European countries: England, France, Switzerland, and Italy. The Via Francigena in Italy crosses six regions: Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Lazio. The southern section of the Via Francigena, called the Via Francigena of the South, is a route of approximately 900 km that crosses five regions: Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, Molise, and Puglia. The stretch through the Lazio region is approximately 420 km long.

 

The whole document (in Italian) can be consulted by clicking here.

 

 

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The municipality of Saint Maurice (CH) becomes an EAVF member!

Saint Maurice, a small municipality in the Canton of Valais with great strategic importance, is located along the Swiss stretch of the Via Francigena, exactly halfway along the route followed by archbishop Sigeric on his journey to Rome. The European Association of Via Francigena Ways is incredibly happy to enrich its network with such an important institutional member, therefore we warmly welcome Saint Maurice and its representatives!

Saint Maurice is situated along the 51st stage of Sigeric’s itinerary and in Roman times was called Agaunum. It was located at a bottleneck formed by the Rhone river, thus taking on a role of great strategic importance. The famous Theban legion was stationed here, led by Maurice and exterminated at this location in the 3rd century for refusing to swear an oath to the gods before the battle because they had converted to Christianity. The martyrdom of St. Maurice and the legion turned ancient Agaunum into an important pilgrimage site along the Via Francigena.

The Abbey of Saint Maurice was founded on the tomb of the martyrs in 515 by Sigismund, son of the Burgundian king. From that moment the Abbey played an important role, becoming the centre of veneration of the martyrs and the main abbey in the Burgundian kingdom, as well as a pilgrimage destination. The Abbey of Saint Maurice thus became the oldest Christian monastery in the West and has been operative uninterruptedly since its foundation. Bearing witness to this past are the commemoration of Saint Maurice every 22 September and the Laus perennis, the perpetual prayer of the canons at the tomb of the martyrs, a custom that has continued for 1500 years.

Even today, Saint Maurice is the seat of ecclesiastical institutions and is known for its basilica and its church treasure, which contains rare masterpieces of sacred goldsmith’s art. Wars, fires, and falling rocks have repeatedly destroyed the funerary oratories, churches, and monastic buildings built in the 4th century at the foot of the cliff overlooking the site. The church was destroyed in 574 during a Lombard raid, but was rebuilt and enlarged based on the same floor plan under St. Gontrand (561-592). Numerous reconstruction phases and extensions followed.

The Trésor de l’Abbaye, one of the richest in Europe, consists mainly of reliquaries, including for example “St Martin’s Vase” and Theuderic’s casket both dating back to the 7th century A.D., as well as Charlemagne’s aquamanile from the 9th century and the so-called “bag of Saints Innocent and Candide” from the 12th century.

This small jewel of nature, art, and history has been a valuable part of the Via Francigena over the past centuries and now hand-in-hand with EAVF will continue to amaze pilgrims and visitors alike in the decades to come!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

– The Castle of Saint Maurice

– Technical information about Via Francigena Switzerland stage 07 Aigle – Saint Maurice

– Technical information about Via Francigena Switzerland stage 08 Saint Maurice – Martigny

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news-en-import

The municipality of Saint Maurice (CH) becomes an EAVF member!

Saint Maurice, a small municipality in the Canton of Valais with great strategic importance, is located along the Swiss stretch of the Via Francigena, exactly halfway along the route followed by archbishop Sigeric on his journey to Rome. The European Association of Via Francigena Ways is incredibly happy to enrich its network with such an important institutional member, therefore we warmly welcome Saint Maurice and its representatives!

Saint Maurice is situated along the 51st stage of Sigeric’s itinerary and in Roman times was called Agaunum. It was located at a bottleneck formed by the Rhone river, thus taking on a role of great strategic importance. The famous Theban legion was stationed here, led by Maurice and exterminated at this location in the 3rd century for refusing to swear an oath to the gods before the battle because they had converted to Christianity. The martyrdom of St. Maurice and the legion turned ancient Agaunum into an important pilgrimage site along the Via Francigena.

The Abbey of Saint Maurice was founded on the tomb of the martyrs in 515 by Sigismund, son of the Burgundian king. From that moment the Abbey played an important role, becoming the centre of veneration of the martyrs and the main abbey in the Burgundian kingdom, as well as a pilgrimage destination. The Abbey of Saint Maurice thus became the oldest Christian monastery in the West and has been operative uninterruptedly since its foundation. Bearing witness to this past are the commemoration of Saint Maurice every 22 September and the Laus perennis, the perpetual prayer of the canons at the tomb of the martyrs, a custom that has continued for 1500 years.

Even today, Saint Maurice is the seat of ecclesiastical institutions and is known for its basilica and its church treasure, which contains rare masterpieces of sacred goldsmith’s art. Wars, fires, and falling rocks have repeatedly destroyed the funerary oratories, churches, and monastic buildings built in the 4th century at the foot of the cliff overlooking the site. The church was destroyed in 574 during a Lombard raid, but was rebuilt and enlarged based on the same floor plan under St. Gontrand (561-592). Numerous reconstruction phases and extensions followed.

The Trésor de l’Abbaye, one of the richest in Europe, consists mainly of reliquaries, including for example “St Martin’s Vase” and Theuderic’s casket both dating back to the 7th century A.D., as well as Charlemagne’s aquamanile from the 9th century and the so-called “bag of Saints Innocent and Candide” from the 12th century.

This small jewel of nature, art, and history has been a valuable part of the Via Francigena over the past centuries and now hand-in-hand with EAVF will continue to amaze pilgrims and visitors alike in the decades to come!

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

– The Abbey of Saint Maurice: 1500 years of uninterrupted existence

– The Castle of Saint Maurice

– Travel diary. The EAVF staff on the Aigle – Saint – Maurice stage

– Travel diary. The EAVF staff on the Saint Maurice – Martigny stage

– Technical information about Via Francigena Switzerland stage 07 Aigle – Saint Maurice

– Technical information about Via Francigena Switzerland stage 08 Saint Maurice – Martigny

 

 

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news-en-import

Exploring the Via Francigena through Italy: A virtual journey with Kate Bolton-Porciatti (lecture series)

In these difficult and restricted times of the pandemic many of us yearn for better times and the possibility to travel. This 4-part lecture series, taking place from 27 February to 2 March, will give participants a taste of what travelling along the Via Francigena in Italy will feel like once we get back on (the) track.

Partly recorded in different locations along the route, this virtual journey will trace the Via Francigena through Italy in four stages, from the spectacular Great St Bernard Pass in the Alps across seven regions of extraordinary cultural and geographical diversity, eventually reaching the Eternal City.

Cultural historian Kate Bolton-Porciatti will discuss its history and its connections to Lombard and Roman trade routes, and she considers why – for over a millennium – pilgrims and hikers have been drawn to explore it. We’ll listen to accounts of pilgrims and monks from the Middle Ages, including the famous writings of the Archbishop of Canterbury Sigeric who walked the entire route in 990 AD, as well as more recent writings and reflections.

We’ll follow the Via from the snow-capped mountains, alpine meadows, and river valleys of Aosta and Piedmont in northern Italy, through the misty flooded fields and emerald rice paddies of the Po Valley. Crossing the mountains and vine-clad hills of Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, we reach the volcanic terrain around Monte Amiata, and then pass glittering Lake Bolsena to the wilder landscapes of Lazio. We’ll pause at abbeys, rural churches, roadside shrines, and ancient hospices; we’ll visit medieval castles and fortified ‘borghi’, as well as some of Italy’s historic towns and cities. Finally, we’ll sample some of the typical foods that characterize the different regions, from Alpine to Mediterranean traditions.

The four lectures will take place in the English language and will also offer practical advice for anyone considering walking, biking, or horse-back riding along the Via Francigena, as well as suggestions of where to join short stretches of it by car or public transport.

About the lecturer

Kate Bolton-Porciatti is a professor of Italian cultural history and music at the Istituto Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, where she teaches BA and MA courses in the humanities. She also lectures at the British Institute, Florence, and at the Chigiana Music Academy in Siena. Kate has published extensively as an academic and a journalist; she is a music critic for BBC Music and a travel writer for The Daily Telegraph, UK. Before moving to Italy permanently in 2005, she was a senior producer and broadcaster for BBC Arts & Classical Music in London and has won prestigious Jerusalem and Sony Awards for her programs. She did her M.Phil. thesis in Italy, exploring the musical culture of early Renaissance Florence.

For more information and subscriptions: https://conversations.contexttravel.com/products/via-francigena-journey

 

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Criticalities of the walking path

Attention: landslide in Casalina, Pontremoli (Tuscany) (Via Francigena Italy, stage 22)

We have been informed that in the town of Casalina, along the stage that leads from the Cisa Pass to Pontremoli, a landslide has occurred on the road that passes through the town, causing the wall supporting the road to collapse.

It is a very picturesque stretch that leads to a bridge next to an old mill, from where the road continues underneath the chestnut trees.

The local authorities have been notified.

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EAVF participates in the rurAllure kick off meeting

On 11 – 13 January 2021 the European Association of the Via Francigena ways EAVF participated in the kick off meeting of the European project “rurAllure: Promotion of rural museums and heritage sites in the vicinity of European pilgrimage routes”.

This project aims to foster cultural cooperation and tourism along the historic pilgrimage routes. It leverages the state-of-the-art in information technologies in order to promote rural museums and heritage sites in the vicinity of major European pilgrimage routes. The goal is to foster symbiosis between the rural environment and the pilgrimage routes to enrich the cultural experience of the pilgrimage by the vast cultural heritage of rural areas that most often goes unnoticed.

The kick off meeting which was conducted digitally brought together project partners and associates under the leadership of the University of Vigo. The 16 cutting-edge European organisations and research institutions, including the EAVF, participate in this ambitious project, working on common strategies and developing the project’s pilots: literary heritage along the Saint James’ Ways, thermal heritage on the road to Rome, ethnological heritage on the Saint Olav’s ways and the naturalistic heritage on the way of Mary.

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Erasmus + international mobility for the Via Francigena youth

The European Association of the Via Francigena ways (EAVF) presented its second consecutive Erasmus + transnational mobility project “FORREs.T. 2.0 – FOsteR an euRopEan identity through the Trainees mobility” on 5 October 2020 in the Palazzo Farnese in Piacenza.

“F.O.R.R.Es.T 2.0” offers international work experience in the field of tourism, marketing and corporate information systems to 100 Italian graduates residing along the Via Francigena – in northern and southern Italy. The project foresees 62 days of mobility in France (40), the United Kingdom (20) and Spain (40).

Thanks to the grant of the European Commission, the EAVF will be able to support their travel, accommodation and subsequent and costs. The project has a duration of two years and is aimed at young people who graduated between 2020 and 2021. The internships will take place within one year from the acquisition of the title.

The EAVF is lead partner of a consortium of 15 schools in Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, Apulia together with the Tuscany Region, the Tourist Promotion Agency of the province of Turin, the Italian Youth Hotel Association and Radio Francigena. A technical partner of the project is Euro Glocal s.r.l.

The press conference on 5 October 2020 was attended by Jonathan Papamarenghi, councillor for Tourism, Culture, Registration and Europe of the municipality of Piacenza and the EAVF president Massimo Tedeschi. The project was presented by Luca Bruschi, EAVF director.

In upcoming weeks, specific info-days will be organised in schools, announcing a list of selected students who will participate in the project.

The mobility will carefully follow Covid-19 health protocols in line with national focal point and schools.

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Walk with us! Take part in “I love Francigena” event on Saturday 17 October

Walking event “I love Francigena“ will take place on 17 October 2020, joining the celebration of the World Tourism Day 2020.

“I love Francigena” walk from Fornovo di Taro (Parma) to Corte di Giarola, Collecchio will allow visitors and locals to discover one of the Via Francigena variants.

Participants will have a chance to enjoy a splendid parish church of Santa Maria Assunta in Fornovo, which preserves a famous statue of a medieval pilgrim on its façade. During the walk the hikers will explore paths in the Taro Park and the Naviglio Taro canal, surrounded by greenery. There they visit splendid Corte di Giarola with its museums, to discover the history of the Taro Park and the river ecosystem.

Register: 20 places available for 17 October. Enrolment is open till 13 October. Sign up here

The event is organized by the EAVF with the contribution of the Cariparma Foundation and the support of Municipalities of Parma, Collecchio, Fornovo Di Taro, Sala Baganza.

The main objective is to promote travel along the Via Francigena via:

  • Environmental education,
  • Sustainable and slow tourism,
  • Involvement of local communities and stakeholders,
  • Route maintenance and signage,
  • Promotion and visibility.

“I love Francigena” is a series of annual walking events, celebrating the cultural route of the Via Francigena and offering a unique opportunity to enjoy sections of the path, its cultural and natural heritage and local gastronomy.

A typical “I love Francigena” day will be an easy 10-20 km walk (depending on a section of the Via Francigena) mediated by a local guide who explains interesting facts about natural surroundings and history of the Francigena with a few sightseeing stops and a reception in the end of the hike. The hike is free of charge and a shuttle bus is organised from the final point.

The EAVF conducts “I love Francigena” since 2017, co-organising the event together with Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions (I LOVE CAMMINI framework) in Italy and Bourgogne – Franche-Comté in France with kind support of local municipalities and associations.

World Tourism Day 2020:

Organised by the World Tourism Organisation UNWTO, the World Tourism Day 2020 is feted on Sunday 27 September 2020 under a focus on “Tourism and Rural Development”. This day celebrates the sector’s unique ability to drive economic development and provide opportunities outside of big cities, including in those communities that would otherwise be left behind. World Tourism Day 2020 also highlights the important role tourism plays in preserving and promoting culture and heritage all around the world. The Via Francigena crossing 3000 km of rural areas from Canterbury to the harbours of Italian Apulia via France, Switzerland and Italy, provides significant opportunities for economic development of rural areas and enhancement of their cultural and natural heritage.

Anti_Covid measures:

Each participant is required to present a filled in self-certification form, which can be downloaded here. Please consult the information brochure of the Italian Association of Environmental Hiking Guides (AIGAE). Participants are required to have personal health protection equipment with them.

Clothing:

Backpack with snacks and a good supply of water (1,5 l. per person recommended), trekking shoes (vibram sole recommended, visit the Garmont technical sponsor website). Recommended: waterproof cape.

Technical information: length of the stage 9.8 km, positive difference in height 70 meters, duration 3 hours (stops excluded).

Difficulty: tourist (easy)

Meeting point: 2.30 pm in Fornovo di Taro

Google coordinate of departure: https://goo.gl/maps/6yHMyjDgaQaa5WFJA

Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, Via Cesare Battisti, 7, 43045 Fornovo di Taro (PR)

Expected arrival: 5.30-6.00 pm at the Corte di Giarola (Collecchio). Free shuttlis provided.

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Walk with us! Take part in “I love Francigena” event on Saturday 26 September

Walking event “I love Francigena“ will take place on 26 September 2020, joining the celebration of the World Tourism Day 2020.

“I love Francigena” walk between San Pancrazio (Parma) to Collecchio will allow visitors and locals to discover one of the Via Francigena variants between Parma and Parco del Taro, Italy.

The walk will start from the Romanesque parish church of San Pancrazio and will shrtly immerse into fields south of the Via Emilia, shaped by the Roman centuriation more than 2,000 years ago: irrigation canals, rows of mulberry trees and ancient agricultural courts. After passing the church of San Martino di Madregolo, the group will skirt the green banks of the Taro river park until reaching Collecchio: here we visit the parish church of San Prospero, with its splendid Romanesque baptismal font.

Registration: 20 places available. Enrolment is open till 23 September. Sign up here

The event is organized by the EAVF with the contribution of the Cariparma Foundation and the support of Municipalities of Parma, Collecchio, Fornovo Di Taro, Sala Baganza.

“I love Francigena” is a series of annual walking events, celebrating the cultural route of the Via Francigena and offering a unique opportunity to enjoy sections of the path, its cultural and natural heritage and local gastronomy.

The main objective is to promote travel along the Via Francigena via:

  • Environmental education,
  • Sustainable and slow tourism,
  • Involvement of local communities and stakeholders,
  • Route maintenance and signage,
  • Promotion and visibility.

A typical “I love Francigena” day will be an easy 10-20 km walk (depending on a section of the Via Francigena) mediated by a local guide who explains interesting facts about natural surroundings and history of the Francigena with a few sightseeing stops and a reception in the end of the hike. The hike is free of charge and a shuttle bus is organised from the final point.

The EAVF conducts “I love Francigena” since 2017, co-organising the event together with Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions (I LOVE CAMMINI framework) in Italy and Bourgogne – Franche-Comté in France with kind support of local municipalities and associations.

World Tourism Day 2020:

Organised by the World Tourism Organisation UNWTO, the World Tourism Day 2020 is feted on Sunday 27 September 2020 under a focus on “Tourism and Rural Development”. This day celebrates the sector’s unique ability to drive economic development and provide opportunities outside of big cities, including in those communities that would otherwise be left behind. World Tourism Day 2020 also highlights the important role tourism plays in preserving and promoting culture and heritage all around the world. The Via Francigena crossing 3000 km of rural areas from Canterbury to the harbours of Italian Apulia via France, Switzerland and Italy, provides significant opportunities for economic development of rural areas and enhancement of their cultural and natural heritage.

Anti_Covid measures:

Each participant is required to present a filled in self-certification form, which can be downloaded here. Please consult the information brochure of the Italian Association of Environmental Hiking Guides (AIGAE). Participants are required to have personal health protection equipment with them.

Clothing:

Backpack with snacks and a good supply of water (1,5 l. per person recommended), trekking shoes (vibram sole recommended, visit the Garmont technical sponsor website). Recommended: waterproof cape.

Technical information: length of the stage 14.7 km, height difference 80 meters, duration 4 hours (stops excluded).

Difficulty: tourist (easy)

Meeting point: 9.00 am in San Pancrazio (Parma)

Google coordinates of departure: https://goo.gl/maps/uT9rwRuS9nVCLNP38

Parish church of San Pancrazio Martire, Via Don Tito Pioli, 43126 Parma PR

Expected arrival: 14.30 Collecchio

Return to the starting point by shuttle.

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EAVF General Assembly, Pavia (Italy)  |  20 October 2023