The Via Francigena has been confirmed as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

The Executive Secretary of the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, Stefano Dominioni, recently sent the official communication to the EAVF.

This news confirms the significant work that the European network of the Via Francigena is doing at the international level for the promotion, enhancement, and protection of the European route. 2024 is a special year as the Via Francigena celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its certification by the Council of Europe, which took place in 1994.

The Via Francigena is thus reaffirmed as a “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” following the four-yearly evaluation of compliance with the criteria of Resolution CM/res (2013)67. It also confirms the accreditation of the European Association of the Via Francigena ways (EAVF) as the managing body of the Via Francigena, highlighting the uniqueness and exclusivity of the European network, which today involves 243 local member entities in four countries and 92 volunteer associations that animate the route on a local or regional scale.

“The result achieved underscores the great seriousness with which the Via Francigena network is working in the four countries it crosses – the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Italy. The confirmation of the certification also gives an important boost to the institutional and technical process for advancing the UNESCO dossier, led by the Tuscany Region”, said Vice President Francesco Ferrari.

The “Evaluation Report” was drafted by Professor Maria Gravari Barbas of the Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris and makes recommendations that AEVF will seek to address as best as possible.

Both the dossier prepared by EAVF and the evaluation report of the Council of Europe are available to EAVF members and friends.