The Via Francigena is re-confirmed as the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe and the European Association of the Via Francigena ways EAVF as a carrier network of the route following a regular evaluation procedure. The official communication was sent to the EAVF by Stefano Dominioni, the Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA) on Cultural Routes.
Timely confirmation of intensive work conducted by the EAVF to enhance the visibility of the route and to gain international acknowledgement. The re-confirmation comes after the route and the work of the association were accessed by the Council of Europe – the procedure which occurs every three years and aims to verify the route’s compliance with the Council of Europe Resolutions on Cultural Routes.
The EPA Governing Board also expressed a favourable opinion on the request for an extension of the certification “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” to the Via Francigena in the South – a route’s continuation from Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca. The extension was earlier ratified by the EAVF General Assembly on 18 October 2019.
The next regular evaluation will be carried out in the 2023-24 certification cycle.
“The evaluation result rewards all those in four countries crossed – United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Italy – and around the world, who supported and sustained the Via Francigena initiative and worked hard to make it successful. The confirmation of the certification also gives an important impetus to the ongoing UNESCO World Heritage candidacy of the Via Francigena, led by the Tuscany Region”, – said the EAVF President Massimo Tedeschi: “I wish to thank the members of the Governing Board of the Council of Europe for the decision taken as well as the EAVF staff for an excellent work performed.”
The evaluation report was prepared by Professor Alessia Mariotti of the University of Bologna, who gave useful comments and recommendations to which the EAVF will prepare the best possible feedback. Both the EAVF dossier and the evaluation report are available to the EAVF members and stakeholders.
