The “Via Francigena and the European Cultural Routes” magazine honours our initiative with a special edition, entirely dedicated to the European march that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the European Association of Via Francigena ways (EAVF).
Following the outstanding flow of pictures and videos, blogs and stories that have been shared during the event, here is the official release of the Via Francigena magazine, created by EAVF with editor Studio Guidotti, that allows us to jump back in and live, once again, the extraordinary emotions we experienced during those four months: from the encounters with people and local communities to the discovery of territories, involving 650 municipalities along an axis of 3,200 km.
The magazine, published in English, French and Italian, can be downloaded in PDF version or purchased in paper version, and it collects the articles of many guests and collaborators who supported the project from the very beginning.
EAVF’s President Massimo Tedeschi’s editorial opens this number of the magazine, recalling the historical roots of the association and highlighting the three keywords of “Road to Rome”: relaunch, heritage and Europe. The main sponsors of the event, ENIT, Snam and Intesa Sanpaolo, as well as “Valore Paese Italia e Agenzia del Demanio”, introduce us to the beauty of traveling, across villages and enchanting landscapes, with an invitation to start walking.
A substantial section of the magazine is dedicated to the faces that guided this visionary and epic journey: a group of people fuelled by passion, enthusiasm and love for the Via Francigena. Thanks to these faces it was possible to organize, build and share the story of something that, just one year ago, seemed like an impossible dream.
There are many thematic articles in this number: Giancarlo Laurenzi, President of the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome, Didier Morel, President of the Federation Via Francigena France, Erik Samson, French Catholic priest, Gaetan Tornay, EAVF’s Vice-president, Giancarlo Forte, President of Gruppo dei Dodici, and Federica Copernico and Andrea Giuffrida, bloggers from Trip’N’Roll. In these pages we can trace back across fragments and pictures of the journey which become input for future projects. Those who had this experience in first person, during one or more days on foot, were probably able to feel the cosiness of the journey and of the “Road to Rome” group, which made the chords of our hearts vibrate.
This edition also devotes a beautiful section to the Via Francigena section in the region of Lombardy, in the provinces of Lodi and Pavia, with a focus on cultural and natural emergencies. A path narrated by blogger Monica Nanetti, who cycled with us in this section this summer. It includes the introductions of Ambra Castellani, hospitalera at “La Torre Merlata” in Palestro speaking about hospitality along the route, and Francesco Ferrari, EAVF Vice-president and Mayor of Orio Litta, who tells us about the Grangia Benedettina hostel.
Words, stories, memories, but that’s not all of it: in this edition, that comes with the end of 2021, the strongest messages comes from the beautiful photos taken during those unforgettable weeks by our official photographers, who followed us step by step. The images are carefully selected and collected in an archive that is much more than a magazine to us – it is a proper photo album, full of memories that allow us to live again a long journey that did certainly not end in Santa Maria di Leuca on the 18th of October.
Indeed, the special edition dedicated to Road to Rome is not only a way to remember those epic 4 months, but is a spark for reflection in the coming years: what will happen after this relay march? What are the projects the Association is now focusing on? What are the next challenges to accept in the tourism sector, currently in thorough transformation?
The road to walk is still long: for now, we can only wish you an enjoyable read and happy holidays, in company of EAVF!
