From 18 to 21 May 2023 the town of Fidenza hosted the Francigena Fidenza Festival, an event entirely dedicated to the Via Francigena and European cultural routes. Among the numerous activities taking place during the third edition of the Francigena Fidenza Festival was the photographic exhibition “Cammini in Europa“, which shared shots taken by pilgrims from all over Europe during their walking or cycling trips with institutions and the public.
Share your route
The exhibition is combined with the “Share your route” photo contest organised by the European Horizon2020 project rurAllure, which last summer launched a call on social media to involve pilgrims and tourists walking along the routes: the three Vie Romee, the Way of St. James, the Way of St. Olav and the Way of Mary. More than 3,000 photos were collected during the summer of 2022, which recounted on Instagram and Facebook the “on the road” experiences through images of the most significant moments.
During the exhibition in Fidenza, some shots from the routes were projected in loop on a canvas positioned at the apse of the church, while the winning images of each category were displayed on roll-ups accompanied by the biographies and stories of each traveller. More than 50 people took part in the inauguration, which opened with greetings from Mayor Andrea Massari and the Councillor for Culture Maria Pia Bariggi, and continued with musical accompaniment by singer-songwriter Jack Jaselli, author of the book ‘Torno a Casa a Piedi‘. One of the highlights of the inauguration was the award ceremony for some of the winners of rurAllure‘s photo contest, such as @Nappatravels who shared their experience with the present public.
rurAllure and the promotion of European cultural routes
More than 50 events enlivened the four-day festival, including exhibitions, walks, guided tours, in-depth studies, projects for schools, concerts and entertainment. “The beautiful way of Europe” is the claim chosen this year, a reminder of the thread between the past and the future that celebrates the union between the realms of itineraries, culture and spirituality, food and wine and the promotion of the territory.
The Festival was also an opportunity to present a Council of Europe Cultural Route, and this year’s choice fell on the Saint Olav’s Way through Norway. The second edition of the rurAllure photo-contest returns on 1 June 2023 with the aim of giving space for expression to pilgrims on their way across Europe.
