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As part of the 2025 Jubilee, on 12th February, Horse Green Experience 2025 – Equiraduno of the Holy Year was presented at the Sala Caduti di Nassirya in the Senate of the Republic. This extraordinary horseback pilgrimage blends spirituality, sustainability, and territorial discovery.

The event was introduced by Senator Gian Marco Centinaio, followed by speeches from Dario Nanni, President of the Special Jubilee 2025 Commission – Rome Capital, Roberto Pella, MP and Vice-President of ANCI, Massimo Guasconi, President of Unioncamere Toscana, and Maurizio Rosellini, President of Final Furlong.

The President of EAVF, Francesco Ferrari, and Director Luca Bruschi also participated.

Pilgrims on horseback to the Eternal City

Organised by Final Furlong in collaboration with Omnia Vatican Rome, the University of Florence – DAGRI, Simtur, and Natura a Cavallo, and with the patronage of the Dicastery for Evangelization, this initiative will take riders along historic pilgrimage routes to the Eternal City, culminating in an audience with Pope Francis. An experience that embodies the theme of the 2025 Jubilee, “Pilgrims of Hope”, inviting reconciliation, reflection, and respect through a long journey that passes through bell towers, villages, and communities, connecting people to the values of land, culture, and faith.

The three pillars of the programme

The “Horse Green Experience” programme, which underpins the concept of the event, is based on three fundamental pillars:

1. Enhancing natural, cultural, and social heritage: A journey that highlights the scenic and historical beauty of cities, villages, and rural and mountainous areas, promoting sustainable development strategies for local supply chains.
2. The horse as an ambassador of nature and community connection: The horse represents a symbol of gentle and sustainable mobility, but also of communication, education, and training in the context of responsible tourism.
3. Sustainable tourism and rural development: A programme that embraces the principles of environmental protection, biodiversity, well-being, and prosperity, aligned with new forms of slow tourism.

Knights and amazons towards St. Peter’s Square

The route of the Holy Year Equiraduno follows three main paths, starting from various regions of Europe and Italy, converging towards Rome: the Romea Germanica, the Romea Strata, the Via Francigena, and the Via Francigena Sud.

The journey will commence on 28th March from various points along the three pilgrimage routes.

Along the way, the different groups of riders will gradually unite, forming an increasingly numerous and solemn procession towards the final destination. On 14th May 2025, the procession of riders from the Horse Green Experience, accompanied by a representation from the national equiraduno of Natura a Cavallo, with over 200 horse-rider pairs, will make its solemn entry into St. Peter’s square in Rome, to participate in an audience with Pope Francis, thus concluding a journey that is not only a physical itinerary but also a journey of faith, history, and encounters with local communities.

The Francigena Fidenza Festival 2024 has closed the curtain after four vibrant days with great participation of the general public. It was a long “cultural bridge” connecting northern Europe with the Mediterranean via the city of Fidenza, which is located exactly halfway along the route (3,200 km long) and has been home to the headquarters of the European Association of the Via Francigena ways (EAVF) since 2001.

A glimpse of the 2024 edition

From April 11 to 14, the Festival hosted 50 outreach events, in-depth talks, scientific meetings, talks of national relevance, animations, music, and many hikes to discover the European cultural route of the Via Francigena.

On the morning of the closing day, an impressive 300 people set out on the Fidenza-Costamezzana-Medesano-Fornovo stretch for the “Lenti alla Meta” event.

The presence of Connie Nolan, city councilor of the city of Canterbury, gave great international relevance to the Festival and laid the groundwork for future collaborations with local governments, associations, and schools with a view to dialogue and cooperation. Nolan was received by Fidenza Mayor Andrea Massari and Councillor Maria Pia Bariggi. She also met with the mayors of Cadeo, Fiorenzuola, and Calendasco (Marica Toma, Romeo Gandolfi, Filippo Zangrandi), three municipalities located in the province of Piacenza. A special moment of discussion took place with the EAVF, the Festival’s partner, in the presence of President Massimo Tedeschi, Vice President Francesco Ferrari, and the entire Via Francigena staff.

AEVF contributed to the Festival with the organisation of three significant cultural and entertainment events: the Roveleto di Cadeo-Fiorenzuola-Fidenza walking relay on 12 and 13 April, which made it possible to visit abbeys and points of great historical and artistic interest; the workshop on the ‘Camminini in Emilia-Romagna’ (walking routes in Emilia-Romagna) on 12 April, in collaboration with APT Emilia-Romagna; and the scientific conference ‘Via Francigena towards UNESCO certification’ on 13 April, in collaboration with the University of Parma.

The Festival has reached its fourth edition and has now become not only a reference appointment,
but also a good practice to be made known throughout
the European network of Via Francigena ways.

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We would like to thank the partners who supported us during the event for their cooperation: CAMCO, Garmont, and Ferrino, who have long been on the road with us to improve the experience of wayfarers 👣

Positive news for the Via Francigena and slow tourism comes from the approval of the 2024 budget law by the Italian government.

With reference to the revitalisation and tourist promotion of the ‘religious pilgrimage routes’, the fund for the infrastructure of the ‘walking routes system’ in Italy has been refinanced for 2024, 2025, and 2026 by a total of 15 million euros. With these resources, it will be possible to fund many projects that were admitted in the Italian Ministry of Tourism’s recent call for proposals.

Five projects on the Via Francigena had already been accepted for funding in 2023 within the walking routes fund. Beneficiaries were the Province of Siena (Tuscany), the municipalities of Saint-Oyen (Valle d’Aosta), Pontremoli (Tuscany) and Berceto (Emilia-Romagna), and the Diocese of Massa Carrara-Pontremoli (Tuscany). Thanks to this recent extension of the ministerial fund, other territories are also included in the list: municipalities of Campagnano (Lazio), Otranto and Poggiardo (Puglia), Donnas (Valle d’Aosta), Santo Stefano Magra (Liguria). (Link to the complete list: https://www.ministeroturismo.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Cammini-religiosi_Graduatoria-delle-domande_v01.pdf).

The Jubilee of 2025 is also at the core of the manoeuvre: a fund of 75 million euro in the year 2024, 305 million euro in the year 2025 and 8 million euro in the year 2026 for the planning and implementation of works and interventions functional to the event has been established.