In jargon it is called a “pay off”: it is that short, concise, recognisable slogan that accompanies and somehow “explains” a brand. For the Via Francigena it goes without saying that the only truly fitting pay off had to be “Road to Rome“.

And what better occasion to make this pay off official than the 20th anniversary of EAVF?! Because yes, in 2021 EAVF will be able to blow out twenty candles during the longest party, both temporally as well as geographically, ever made. This also coincides with the “Road to Rome 2021” event: a 4-month long march from Canterbury to Rome, and from Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca, which will start in June and end in October.

The pay off “Road to Rome” was thus formalized and added to the association’s logo. Incorporating the words “road to Rome” into the official logo means above all connecting the cultural itinerary of the Via Francigena with its destination, Rome. The Via Francigena and Rome therefore “merge” together, a testimonial of ancient and present-day wayfarers who increasingly flock to the Eternal City from all over the world following in Sigeric’s footsteps.

A formal recognition of a process that began months ago, which found its most recent development also and above all on social media, where the hashtag #roadtorome is being increasingly used in posts and photographs about the Via Francigena. Because unlike twenty years ago, when social networks did not even exist, today the Via is one of the most important players in the digital world dedicated to walking, reaching 60.000 followers on the Facebook page, 13.000 on Instagram, and 2.000 on Twitter.