The Lazio Region and the Galicia Region have signed a cooperation agreement to promote two major cultural routes: the Via Francigena and the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

Rome, 6 February 2025 – On Thursday, 6 February, at Palazzo Borromeo, the seat of the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, the Memorandum of Collaboration was signed between the Lazio Region and the Autonomous Community of Galicia, in the presence of their respective Presidents, Francesco Rocca and Alfonso Ruela Valenzuela. This formal act marks the beginning of an important partnership aimed at fostering dialogue and promoting these two European cultural routes, which were certified by the Council of Europe in 1987 and 1994, respectively.

The institutional meeting was attended by Francesco di Nitto, Italian Ambassador to the Holy See; Riccardo Guariglia, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Daniela Santanchè, Minister of Tourism; and Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation.

The agreement also aims to strengthen cultural ties between Lazio and Galicia, promote sustainable and responsible tourism, and create new opportunities for pilgrims and travellers who, during the Jubilee Year, will undertake the Via Francigena and the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

The meeting was introduced by Civita Di Russo, Vice-President of the European Association of the Via Francigena ways (EAVF) and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of the Lazio Region. She outlined the journey leading to this significant memorandum, which forms part of a broader European agreement signed in November 2023 between the European Association of the Via Francigena and the European Federation of the Camino de Santiago. The event also saw the participation of Francesco Ferrari, President of EAVF; Aldo Patruno, Vice-President of EAVF; Silvio Marino, Delegate of the Mayor of Rome; Maria Pia Bariggi, Deputy Mayor of Fidenza; and representatives of the Gruppo dei Dodici.

As part of this important institutional initiative, on Wednesday, 5 February, the exhibition “The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: from the Via Francigena to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela” was inaugurated at WeGil, a cultural hub of the Lazio Region. The exhibition is structured into the following sections:

• “Via Francigena, Road to Rome”, a 3,200 km journey from Canterbury to Rome and on to Puglia
• The Camino de Santiago de Compostela
• “The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Italy: A European Heritage”.

The inauguration featured speeches by José Manuel Merelles Remy, Director of the Galician Tourism Agency; Serhij Morhunov, Vice-President of the European Federation of the Camino de Santiago; Roberta Alberotanza, Coordinator of the ECHE Lab Cultural Routes Section at the University of Reggio Calabria; Civita Di Russo, Vice-President of the European Association of the Via Francigena; Antonello Aurigemma, President of the Lazio Regional Council; Paolo Giuntarelli, Director of Tourism for the Lazio Region; and Luca Bruschi, Director of the European Association of the Via Francigena.

In his concluding remarks, Bruschi highlighted the synergies already in place between the two European cultural routes, which are collaborating on an Erasmus project focused on slow mobility, walking, accessibility, and sport.

The exhibition is open to the public at WeGil until 7 March, every day from 10:00 to 19:00.