“POP: pilgrims hosting pilgrims“, a new hospitality network, was born from the idea of a group of private individuals to create hospitality by pilgrims for pilgrims.
The network is developed at the Italian national level and covers several routes, including that of the Via Francigena.
Why a POP hospitality network?
The hostel managers, who have set up the network, want to achieve 100% pilgrim hospitality, and for this reason the accommodations adhering to the network must meet two essential requirements:
- those running the hostel must be pilgrims
- the offered dinner (and possibly also breakfast) is communal
This is because a pilgrim who offers hospitality knows perfectly well what the traveller needs: they know their basic needs, both physical and emotional. Taking off one’s shoes, soaking one’s feet, and having a cool drink take priority over registration and stamping the pilgrim credential.
Eating together on the other hand encourages discourse between people of different genders, ages, nationalities, and life experiences.
The POP network was created with several purposes:
- To increase the visibility of pilgrim accommodations that are often little visited because they are not positioned at canonical stage ends (several accommodations are situated in the countryside because of a lifestyle choice that associates hosting pilgrims with contact with nature and sustainability).
- To stimulate discussion among like-minded people on issues of common interest (issues related to bedbugs or other sanitation issues, hosting pets, donations, sleeping bags or blankets, etc.).
- Above all, the POP network wants to convey a certain spirit of sharing that distinguishes pilgrimage routes from ordinary treks. Until a few years ago, pilgrimage routes, of historical/religious origin, were traveled by a limited number of people, in search of something, often not definable, nor conscious. Over the years, the number of routes has multiplied, the types of accommodations and services as well, and consequently the typology of pilgrims, or perhaps better to say walkers turns out to be much broader, more and more corresponding to the varied humanity. We think that the opening of the paths to a wider typology of people is a good and positive thing. Nonetheless, we think that the spirit that many of us have experienced on the paths and that prompted us to open our homes, is being somewhat lost and the creation of POP is meant to stimulate walkers to experience it.
Current POP accommodations
For now, 5 facilities along the Northern Via Francigena, one on the Via Francigena in Southern Italy, and 4 others on other routes have joined the POP network, all run by specific people throughout the opening period; however, this is not a prerequisite, the POP network is open to any facility that shares the two cornerstones, regardless of who owns the facility and who runs it. Think, for example, of facilities that are church-owned and run by volunteer pilgrim host associations.
POP is still fledgling, for now we have a FB group, and we are asking different parties and guides who publish accommodation lists to call identity us with the “POP” abbreviation. The 5 accommodations along the Northern Via Francigena have also produced a promotional flyer.
Facilities (not individual pilgrims) who wish to join our network can contact Federico of POP Biutiful, Cavazzola, Federico and Rossana 3335287812, against_the_winds@hotmail.com, www.biutiful.it.
POP facilities include:
Via Francigena and Via Romea
POP- Domus Peregrini, Montefiascone (VT) Immacolata Coraggio (+39 3381838216) and Franco Steri (+39 3207772586), immacolatacoraggio1958@gmail.com, on Facebook Immacolata Coraggio and the Domus Peregrini group.
POP- Lento e Contento, Vetralla (VT) Paolo Valotti (+39 3515039074) and Nino Muakyna (+995593905390), paolovalotti7@gmail.com, on Facebook Lento e Contento and Instagram Lento e Contento Hostel
POP- Road to Rome, Capranica (VT) Travis Criddle (+39 3483595971) and Juliane (+49 15258918235), roadtorome.org@gmail.com, on Facebook Road to Rome
Via Francigena
POP- Biutiful, Cavazzola, Federico and Rossana (+39 3335287812), against_the_winds@hotmail.com, www.biutiful.it
POP- Temperance, Groppodalosio, Marco and Greta (+39 3757825734), temperance1617@gmail.com
Via Romea, San Francesco in Toscana, via Clanis
Pieve la Sassaia, Rigutino (Arezzo), Giovanni Roberto (+39 3409812896), gallorobinson@libero.it, on Facebook La Sassaia Rifugio del Pellegrino
Via Francigena in Southern Italy
Point 113, Strangolagalli (Frosinone), Enzo Cinelli (+39 3384422532), cinellips@gmail.com, on Facebook Point 113 Via Francigena del Sud
St. Francis’ Way in the Sacred Valley, Via di Francesco, Di qui passò Francesco, St. Benedict’s Way
Casetta Mariani, Cantalice, Valeria San Felice (+39 3494639384) casettamariani@gmail.com
POP-Le querce di Tara, Rieti, Mauro (+39 3484273023), mauro.rinaldi@lequrceditara.it
Way of St Benedict
Violin House, Casamari Stage (Castelliri locality), Valeria Fiorini (+39 3497937639), valeria.fiorini19@gmail.com
The POP network is ready to receive new adhesions from many other accommoations in order to grow and become larger, similar to the one already existing on the Camino de Santiago!
