Author: Redazione AEVF

Coop has always supported healthy and sustainable lifestyles, and in this post-Covid19 relaunch year it chooses to be a truly active promoter of outdoor physical activity and slow tourism. With these objectives in mind, Coop organised a series of walks free of charge, suitable to all and open to the public at the beginning of summer, and offers 7 more hikes during October 2022!

In particular, Coop approached Francigena Service S.r.l. as its organising partner and as technical-logistical creator of the events along the Via Francigena route. Starting on 1 October 2022, we will be holding a total of seven walks with free participation along the Italian Via Francigena, with the format of the well-known ‘I Love Francigena‘ events. The next tours will cover the regions Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna and will require registration (free of charge) at least 5 days before the hike.

Do you want to participate? Discover the stages, register and join us for the stage you prefer!

◆ HERE IS THE CALENDAR OF OCTOBER’S HIKES ◆

Saturday 1 October – Lombardy, from Villanova d’Ardenghi to Pavia: sign up here or visit Coop’s website.

Saturday 1st October – Piedmont, from Palazzo Canavese to Viverone: sign up here or visit Coop’s website.

Sunday 2 October – Piedmont / Lombardy, from Vercelli to Palestro: sign up here or visit Coop’s website.

Sunday 2 October – Liguria, from Castelnuovo Magra to Sarzana: sign up here or visit Coop’s website.

Saturday 22 October – Emilia-Romagna, from Cassio to Berceto: sign up here or visit Coop’s website.

Saturday 22 October – Piedmont, from Borgofranco d’Ivrea to Ivrea: sign up here or visit Coop’s website.

Sunday 23 October – Emilia-Romagna, from Roveleto di Cadeo to Fiorenzuola d’Arda: sign up here or visit Coop’s website.

Click here for the full list of events organised by Coop

The hikes are organised with the aim of exploring and promoting the cultural, historical and natural heritage as well as the products of local gastronomy along the route of the Via. The itineraries we cover are suitable for everyone and groups will always be accompanied by an experienced environmental and hiking guide.

We also walked with Coop Outdoor in June and July 2022!

Here are some of our latest itineraries:

Piedmont: from Palazzo Canavese to Viverone

Emilia-Romagna: from Cassio to Berceto

Liguria: from Ponzano Superiore to Sarzana

Tuscany: from Gambassi Terme to S. Gimignano and from Strove to Monteriggioni

Lazio: from Sutri to Capranica

Within the project “I love Francigena”, the FFRandonnée and the European Association of Via Francigena ways are looking for videomakers to produce videos, photos and content for social networks.

In September and October 2022, the French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée) and the European Association of Via Francigena ways (EAVF) are organising a series of hikes and meet-ups called “I Love Francigena“.

The events organised by the FFRandonnée Grand Est and the EAVF consist of three hikes that will cross some of the most significant stages of the GR®145 Via Francigena in France:

• Hike 1: 21 – 23 September from Vitry-le-François to Brienne-le-Château (Grand-East, Marne and Aube)
• Hike 2: 30 September – 2 October from Bruay-la-Buissière (Olhain Park) to Blessy (Hauts-de-France, Pas-de-Calais)
• Hike 3: 7 – 9 October from Mamirolle to Saône and Besançon (Bourgogne-FrancheComté, Doubs)

These events are free and open to the public. Each walk will be 10-12 km per day with a certified guide presenting the local cultural heritage. Representatives of local authorities, the FFRandonnée and the EAVF will also be present, as well as numerous walkers, inhabitants, tourists, a photographer/videomaker and a blogger.

Your commitment:

• Walk with us along the route for 3 days (you need to be in good physical shape, walking an average of 10-12 km per day and carrying a backpack).
• Produce 1 one-minute video for each walk (3 in total).
• Produce 2 real-life 20-second videos for each walk (6 in total).
• Produce 1 1-minute 30-second video interview per walk (3 in total)
• Share a minimum of 40 HD photos (120 in total).

Terms and conditions:

Please let us know if you are available for all 3 events or just 2 or 1, specifying which one(s).

• You must be in possession of all equipment, the drone and a licence to shoot with the drone.
• Accommodation, travel expenses and meals are fully covered by the organisers.
• Remuneration to be agreed.

How to apply?

Send your application to jacques.chevin@viefrancigene.org including:

• Your CV and list of your social networks.
• Your portfolio.
• A detailed quotation.

Read the full terms and conditions here

The French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée)
The French Hiking Federation, our partner and associated body, is an association between several organisations that ensure hikers’ access to marked trails. Its slogan is ‘Les chemins, a shared richness’. By delegation of the Ministry of Sport and thanks to the commitment of its collaborators, the FFRandonnée promotes hiking as a sport and leisure activity, organising hikes, events, and hiking education in schools.

The Francigena community continues to grow, as does the network of partners supporting the Association: among the new entries is Montana, a historic Italian company leader in the production of canned meat, which had already accompanied us during the Road to Rome. Convenient and pocket-sized, it is an ideal food for pilgrims embarking on a journey!

Montana’s #CamminareMetteAppetito (‘Walking gives you appetite’) project was created to collect the best Italian walks and outdoor routes and make available the experiences, information and advice of pilgrims and lovers of outdoor activities.

More and more people, in fact, are choosing a healthy lifestyle, made up of outdoor sports activities and a conscious diet and at the same time respectful of the environment. Montana recognises itself in these values, which are common to those who, like AEVF, love the land, and has taken steps to support them with us.

Montana meat comes from an entirely Italian production chain and is the ideal travelling companion along the way because it is light, practical, tasty and high in protein. It is suitable for allə because it is gluten-free and environmentally friendly thanks to the 100% recyclable aluminium packaging. It is the first jellied beef in Italy to have the EPD environmental certification, which measures and certifies the environmental impact of a product on the environment in an objective and comparable way.

We therefore begin with Montana a great new journey as a spokesman for slow and sustainable tourism at local, national and European level.

St Peter’s Basilica, in preparation for the Holy Year 2025 which is now very close, is offering a special Mass to pilgrims arriving at the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles – a targeted journey of spiritual renewal and regeneration.

Among the many initiatives planned and as established by H.E.R. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Papal Basilica and Vicar of His Holiness for Vatican City, the “Pilgrim’s Mass” will be celebrated every day starting on 1 August 2022, at 6 pm. Before the celebration, at 5:30 pm in front of the bronze statue of St. Peter, pilgrims to Rome will be welcomed and accompanied to the tomb of the Apostle, where they will receive the “Pilgrims’ Blessing“.

Further information can be obtained by contacting the Parish Office or the Sacristy of the Vatican Basilica at the following contacts:

ufficioparrocchiale@basilicasanpietro.va

06-69883462-69883731

accoglienza@fsp.va

Thanks to the partnership between Zurich Italia, leader in the insurance sector, and the European Association of Via Francigena ways, 7 metallic signs describing the Via Francigena have been placed in the territory of the Aggregation Toscana Centro Sud.

The first signs were installed in Fucecchio, Montaione, Castelfranco di Sotto and San Miniato, between the provinces of Florence and Pisa. They were then also added in Gambassi Terme, Castelfiorentino and S. Croce sull’Arno. In addition, paper pocket maps of the itinerary in this area are available at all local tourist offices.

The maps, which are available to pilgrims passing along these stages, show all the services available such as fountains along the path, connections to public transport, resting spots or first aid points – and much more.

Zurich therefore chooses to support sustainable development and the ecological transition also through the promotion of slow and responsible tourism in its territory. We wish to thank our partner for its contribution to the local enhancement of the Via Francigena route and its walkability.

Discover all the details of our partnership

The European Association of Via Francigena ways (EAVF) is lead partner of the transnational mobility project called “FORREsT 2.0 – FOsteR an euRopEan identity through the Trainees mobility“, within the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme, for students located along the Via Francigena.

The project offers the opportunity for one hundred graduates from Italian schools located along the Via Francigena to carry out a work experience in the field of slow tourism abroad. They will be able to travel for 62 days in France, United Kingdom or Spain thanks to the contribution that the European Commission, through the EAVF, is making available to them.

The project aims at responding to the new international tourism trends (experiential and sustainable tourism) by promoting the development of specific professional skills in the relevant sector, in order to ensure the economic-productive development of the areas affected by the presence of the Via Francigena, with a perspective on enhancing local communities which share a European cultural identity expressed precisely through the Via Francigena network.

The young participants have the opportunity to carry out a training/work placement in European realities in the aforementioned sectors thanks to a grant that will provide a series of services, including: the identification of the placement and the host organisation the linguistic preparation via the European OLS platform;the cultural and pedagogical preparation of the trainees; round-trip air travel to the traineeship destination; insurance coverage for the entire duration of the stay; accommodation; professional, logistical and organisational tutoring and monitoring; and the issuing of certification and certificates.

For the realisation of this project, the European Association of Via Francigena ways has set up a specific national consortium of fifteen school institutes from Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Apulia. Project partners are also the Region of Tuscany, the Tourism Promotion Body of the Province of Turin, the Italian Association of Youth Hotels and Radio Francigena.

Here is the witness of Irene, a participant in the project (in Italian):

The Region of Lazio has approved the Grande Latium – Cammina in Sicurezza project, which is part of the “Caput Mundi” national funding plan regarding the implementation of interventions aimed at sustainable and cultural tourism.

The project, funded by the PNRR, will also have an impact on the Via Francigena: rest stops equipped with seats and solar panels to recharge phones or bicycles will be installed halfway through each stage.

The project was created with the intention of increasing the number of usable tourist assets: many sites will be upgraded and made available to all, unlike happens today. It also aims to find sustainable alternatives to traditional tourism routes outside the historic center, that encourage slow tourism. The project has been cited as a virtuous example by Minister Massimo Garavaglia and Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri.

Silvio Marino, for Regione Lazio, explained how the need for such rest stops was born: “While writing the project, we thought of the many people who may arrive to the point of buying their shoes but then never decide to leave, to start walking. We decided to try to make the itineraries in Latium truly safe and walkable for all.”

“Often people are worried about getting lost, about not making it the the end. That’s why halfway through each stage we will try to set up an equipped rest stop, with the possibility of recharging cellphones or bicycles and having internet connection. In short, a walk in absolute safety that does not lose the charm of discovery and the flavor of fatigue“, Marino concluded.

Also speaking about the project was Lazio’s Councillor for Tourism and Local Authorities, Valentina Corrado: “Lazio is leading the way in telling the story of a yet unexplored Italy – the one made of inland and lesser-known precious territories. Francigena North and South, St. Francis’ Way, St. Benedict’s Way, Via Amerina and Natural Parks Walk represent an irreplaceable way to discover small towns and lesser-known villages, an ideal line that connects natural beauty, art and archaeology, as well as representing important tourism infrastructure“.

Corrado added that “with this intervention we intend to improve the usability of our paths and give a boost to flows while expecting the Jubilee in 2025, an appointment that will attract a substantial number of pilgrims: welcoming them properly will be our precise duty. “Caput Mundi” is the perfect synthesis of a synergistic work initiated to enhance the immense artistic, cultural and tourist heritage of Rome and Lazio.”

Federica and Nico are two walkers in love with slow travel. They began their great adventure on 8 June 2022, and have since been walking the entire Via Francigena from Canterbury (in the UK) to Santa Maria di Leuca (in Puglia) for five consecutive months, observing a vegan lifestyle.

With their “Infinito Cammino” (Infinite Way) project, this young volunteering couple aims to promote the 3,200 km that make up for the Cultural Route, raising awareness on the issue of universal accessibility in each territory, stage by stage, step by step.

“Today we have the opportunity to walk along the Via Francigena and tell about it, but we would like that in a future everyone can live this wonderful experience,” Federica and Nico explain. “In the walk everyone finds what they need: we have learned to value the small things that are then actually big, small gestures and smiles.”

For these reasons, the two walkers have launched a crowdfunding intended for the Free Wheels odv association, founded by Pietro Scidurlo and for which the two young walkers are volunteering. On several occasions the association has collaborated with the EAVF to promote the Via Francigena as an accessible destination for all.

Federica and Nico’s initiative aims to survey the most critical points along the route so that tomorrow this path too can be the subject of a project that includes the aspect of accessibility in the development strategy. This is a first, very first look that the association takes at the Via Francigena in its entirety. More surveys by other volunteers will follow, and new tools are needed to carry them out. The threshold to be reached is at least €6,000 to buy two e-bikes that will facilitate the work of Free Wheelds odv volunteers in creating paths intended for people with specific needs related to reduced mobility.

To contribute to the fundraiser, click here:

WITHOUT YOU WE CANNOT WALK. WAYS FOR ALL

We can all join Federica and Nico’s journey for Free Wheels odv!

Here’s how we can get involved:

• By supporting the crowdfunding campaign
• By liking the Facebook and Instagram pages of Free Wheels odv
• By sharing the journey through your network of friends, partners, associates etc.
• By organizing events on the day of our arrival in our city
• By spreading the word about the trip through the media and contacts with journalists and influencers
• By offering a shower and a hot meal to the walkers on their journey
• By walking with them for one or more stops and inviting friends and family: here is the calendar
• By collaborating in promoting a vegan lifestyle
• Through any other kind of collaboration to be proposed to info@freewheelsonlus.com

To contact Federica and Nico write to their Facebook Page or Instagram.

Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July EAVF will participate in the first edition of the Valsusa Slow Fest: two days dedicated to slow and proximity tourism that involve many partners, including transalpine ones.

The event is part of the project “The Via Francigena in the Susa Valley: voices and places for an experiential tourism“, which was among the winners of the call “In the light. Enhancing and narrating the cultural identities of territories“, promoted and funded by Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo.

On this occasion, EAVF will screen the docufilm of the Road to Rome 2021 event and present the new issue of the official magazine of the Via Francigena, edition number 53, with a cover and a special article dedicated precisely to the itinerary that crosses the Susa Valley. The magazine is in fact available through the official website of the Magazine, which in recent months has been renovated, fine-tuned and revisited with new, more user-friendly graphics that recall the graphics of the official EAVF website.

The Valsusa Slow Fest program will be divided in two days: Saturday will be dedicated to events, meetings and activities in the historic center of Susa, where a ‘village’ will be set up with stands related to outdoor, cultural and gastronomic activities in the area. On Sunday, experiential activities will be offered in the Susa Valley area both in the field of outdoor and cultural meet-ups.

On Saturday 9 July, at 9:30 a.m. in via Palazzo di Città, the speakers will address the macro-theme of slow tourism by analyzing its different aspects: after the opening and narration of the local governance on activities in the territory, in the morning we will discuss “Outdoor and slow tourism in local, regional and cross-border policies” and “Territorial realities in Italy are attentive to itineraries and slow tourism“.

After a lunch break at the gastronomic points of the local producers of the Susa Valley – Gusto ValSusa or in local restaurants, events will resume at 2:30 p.m. with “Turism along the Francigena – Voices and experiences of walkers and pilgrims“. This will be followed by an in-depth discussion on “The Via Francigena in the Susa Valley as a tourist and cultural driver“, to close with “The Via Francigena and the arts…“

On Sunday 10 July for the entire day, it will be possible to participate in activities in the area with tour guides who have prepared tailor-made proposals for this occasion:

• In the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand Park: 9:30 a.m. “The soul of the forest” – easy hike with Elena Bianco Chinto. At the park headquarters on Fransuà Fontan 1 Street, the documentation center Spazio Escartons can be visited. Also, in front of the park headquarters continues the work of the sculptors of “Istuara ‘d bo” who are making new wood sculptures to enrich the paths of the Park and the Colombano Romean Ecomuseum. Reservations required by Friday, July 8: tel. 3334244678 – erefbianchi@gmail.com
• Cycle excursion “From Avigliana to the Foresto Gorge by Bike” with Duma c’Anduma. Info: https://www.dumacanduma.org/tour/da-avigliana-allorrido-di-foresto-in-bici/
• 9:30 a.m. “Green Lake and Lake Lavoir” hike with Catia Pernigotto. Info and reservations: tel. 3387243283 – catia.pernigotto@gmail.com
• 9 a.m. Hike to Toesca refuge “Take your time!” with Chiara Bellando of Iocamminonaturalmente. Info and reservations: tel. 3387799570 – info@iocamminonaturalmente.com
• 10:30 a.m. Visits to the former Nobel Dynamite Factory in Avigliana. Info and reservations: ufficioiat@turismoavigliana.it – tel. 0119311873.
• 3-6 p.m. opening of Castrum Capriarium (castle of the Conte Verde) in Condove. Info and reservations: tel. 3496483719.
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-6 p.m. opening of Delfinale Tower in Oulx (also July 9). Info: Oulx Tourist Office, https://turismo-oulx.it/
• 4 pm guided tour of the Castle of Countess Adelaide – Civic Museum in Susa. Info: castellosusa@gmail.com

For more information:

https://www.vallesusa-tesori.it/it/stories/2022/05/11/slow-fest

Info: info@vallesusa-tesori.it

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For the first time since 1998, the “Transitum Padi” boat, the shuttle for pilgrims along the Via Francigena across Sigeric’s ford on the Po River, has been suspended.

The lack of rainfall in recent weeks caused an extreme drought in the river which made crossing it with a boat particularly dangerous, as the risk of getting stranded or damaging the vehicle has increased. It was a decision that had never been made – in the more than 20 years of work of the ‘Charon of the Via Francigena’.

Ferryman Danilo Parisi decided to suspend the service over the weekend of June 19, after accompanying the last pilgrims from the Lodi side of Corte Sant’Andrea to Soprarivo on their way to Piacenza. It was an inevitable decision given the conditions of the river: even for a boat of only a few seats, crushing into the sand under the surface of the water or avoiding logs and debris became too dangerous.

The mayor of Caledasco Filippo Zangrandi spoke on the matter, explaining that “in order not to endanger the boat, the choice was made to interrupt the ford on the Via Francigena.” The Interregional Agency for the Po River AIPO, in fact, strongly advised against navigation for safety reasons, emphasizing that within the navigable channel there are stretches with depths below 50 centimeters.

The situation of Italy’s largest river is worrying, and the effects of climate change and rising global temperatures are evident and undeniable. There are many provinces in Italy which are taking regulation steps to limit the waste of water resources in these hot summer months, and we too join in urging you to pay attention to water consumption: while it is good to stay well hydrated while walking, at home we can avoid excessively long showers and running our taps for too long, for example when brushing teeth or washing dishes, but we can also limit the amount of water we use to water plants. Together we can help prevent major drought problems that this summer’s scorching weather puts before us.

For updates on suspension and resumption of the service contact Danilo Parisi: tel. +39 0523 771607