In recent years, new forms of representation of cultural heritage have spread due to the use of digital technology. Even pilgrims on the Via Francigena, thanks to their smartphones and tablets, share their walking experiences day after day on social media sites and populate their Facebook account, Instagram or Twitter with photos, videos or with comments. All of these materials create a participatory image of this European cultural route, accessible to all via the internet.

Last September, The University of Lille, in collaboration with the European Association Via Francigena, launched a project to study all these representations of monuments, landscapes, food, parties and other elements that characterize the route of the Via Francigena. The goal of the project is twofold: to reconstruct the impressions of pilgrims in relation to different stages and try to understand the different motivations that drive people to walk along this historic route. The end result will be the creation of an interactive map of the Via Francigena that by clicking on the different stages will link the user to relevant articles of the Via Francigena Magazine as well as show a summary of the digital impressions that pilgrims have shared online. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2016. More information is available on the project website www.itinerairesculturels.fr.