The event, open to the public, will be held on June 19 in Piazza Duomo and will be followed by a tasting of the “bruschetta del viandante” and a guided tour of the Santa Maria della Scala complex, home to the historic pilgrim hostel recently reopened.
Fidenza, May 29, 2024 – On Wednesday, June 19, the new issue of the magazine “Via Francigena and the European Cultural Routes” will be presented in Siena, at Santa Maria della Scala in Piazza Duomo.
The 57th edition of the trilingual magazine (house organ of the EAVF), soon to be available on the website www.rivistaviafrancigena.it/en/, includes a special focus on Siena, the splendid Tuscan city traversed by the Francigena route, as attested by the diary of Sigeric, the English archbishop who in the year 990 covered the journey between Rome and Canterbury in 79 stages, after receiving the Pallium from the Pope’s hands. Even today, the official route crosses the city of Siena and its province for 120 kilometers, through hills, cypresses, and breathtaking villages such as San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Montalcino, San Quirico d’Orcia, Castiglione d’Orcia, Radicofani, San Casciano dei Bagni, as well as the Abbadia San Salvatore variant.
The route connecting Siena to Rome is one of the most frequented sections by wayfarers from all over the world, who reach the Vatican from the famous Piazza del Campo in about 14 days, after 285 km of pure beauty.
INSIDE THE NEW ISSUE
The new issue of the magazine features in-depth reports on the recent EAVF General Assembly in Vevey, Switzerland, accounts of international events such as the “Grand Randonnée FFR” towards Paris and the snowy experience at the Hospice of the Great St Bernard, as well as specials on places of interest related to the route such as the UNESCO heritage city of Mantua, along with practical tips for organizing the journey, thanks to the opening of the hostel in Medesano along the Parma stage from Fidenza to Fornovo.
The magazine includes an important editorial by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, highlighting the crucial role of the Francigena route in promoting intercultural dialogue and European heritage on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the recognition of the Via Francigena as a cultural route of the Council of Europe. This is followed by a speech by the Italian Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè, emphasizing how the Francigena is among the emblems of slow tourism, as well as one of the main assets of the 2023-2027 Strategic Tourism Plan on which the Italian Ministry is working.
At the beginning of the presentation, which is open to the public, there will be a video link with the Itailian Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè and institutional greetings from the Siena’s Tourism Councillor Vanna Giunti, Regional Councillor of Tuscany Francesco Gazzetti, and EAVF Deputy Vice President Francesco Ferrari: this will be followed by speeches by Luca Faravelli, EAVF Project Manager, the magazine’s publisher Stefano Guidotti, the director of the Consorzio Prosciutto Toscano DOP Emore Magni, and Igino Morini from the Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano’s Territorial Promotion. Chef Alessandro Pieragnoli, creator of the famous “bruschetta del viandante,” will participate, with a delicious tasting planned.
A guided tour of the Santa Maria della Scala complex will follow, which houses the Casa delle Balie, where abandoned or unrecognized children were taken in: currently, the structure is a 25-bed hostel, reopened last March 29 after a period of inactivity during the pandemic. A place rich in history in the historic center of Siena, an unmissable stop for those seeking an authentic experience in the heart of one of Italy’s most fascinating cities.
For more information:
Simona Spinola, AEVF Communication Contact: simona.spinola@viefrancigene.org – www.viefrancigene.org
