“The Via Francigena del Sud – Appia on its way to certification. Role of the associations“: this was the theme at the centre of the meeting organised by the Via Francigena del Sud Committee in the Appia Antica Park on 20th October.
Forty representatives of various associations and territorial entities of Lazio and Campania, were brought together with representatives of the Regions of Lazio and Puglia and the European Association of Via Francigena Ways (EAVF). From the role of the parks, to the Network of Paths, to the certification process of a route: many topics were addressed by those present in order to share a coordinated strategy to achieve certification by the Council of Europe.
Stefano Cresta, manager of the Castelli Romani Park Authority, has reviewed the role played by the parks, by proposing the task of setting up signs along the route, extending the skills to areas not directly included (e.g. Monti Lepini ). Angela Varner, representing regional councillor, Eugenio Patanè (first signatory L.R. 2/2017 – Rete dei Cammini in Lazio) has instead analysed the structure of the Regional Law 2/2017 and the state of implementation of the regional law.
For the Regional Assessment for Tourism and Equal Opportunities of the Lazio Region, Silvio Marino reiterated how the Region, through the governing body of the Network of Paths, intends to directly supervise the development and management of the Route Network. Regarding the Via Francigena of the South, he announced that in recent days the trails of the Lazio routes on which work is to be carried out in the coming months have been formally transmitted to the competent entities. The Coordination, even if not perfected, will operate immediately and contribute to defining the criteria for the formation of the Forum of the Territories.
To be certified, a route must meet specific requirements. The director of the EAVF, Luca Bruschi, and the head of technical development of the Via Francigena of the South (EAVF), Angelofabio Attolico, focused on the process of certification of a European route, pointing out that the role of the EAVF is to guarantee to the Council of Europe that the entire route (from Canterbury up to Leuca; through England, France, Switzerland and Italy) meets the requirements of the certification valid for three years.
On 18th September, the Central Southern Regions officially transmitted the trails of the VFS path to the MiBAC. “From this moment – explained Attolico, also present as a representative of the Department of Tourism and Culture of the Puglia Region – any change must be evaluated by the regional bodies and by the EAVF directly, with a process characterised by absolutely transparent and objective criteria“. Attolico also reiterated that certification represents a dynamic and continuous process that every three years offers the opportunity to update the route by evaluating the territory’s proposals, recalling the need for signage to respect the European vademecum and be coordinated by the competent bodies.
Source: press release
