Author: Redazione AEVF

The Francigena award meets pilgrims on the road. The three winning stories of the 2017 edition will be supplied for free in the structures that have join the initiative organised and promoted by Betti publishing company.

The Via Francigena is a way to see territories we may know, seeing it profoundly, becoming inspired by places and people to narrate emotions and feelings. “It’s from this idea that the literary award comes from – explains editor Luca Betti – and that words can be an inspiration and guide for pilgrims, we wanted to promote the literary award with the winning stories of the first edition.”

Pilgrims can find the free tales in the many structures that joined the initiative. The brochure contains one of the three winners of the 2017 edition: the journey of the heart and mind by Riccardo Benucci, “Viaggiare con gli occhi”, “La Via di Hans” by Eros Teodori, in which pilgrimage represents a sons search for a father figure, and the touching trip of Elio and Vera by Matteo Minerva, “Senza perdersi mai”.

Participation in the 2018 edition is still possible up until 15th October, entitled “I’m leaving for now… Stories on the road”, born from the wish to give space to emerging authors who, leaving for the Francigena, want to tell their stories at a slow pace, opening readers up to a world of places and traditions of Italy. The winners will be awarded during two events in the municipalities of Monteriggioni (SI) and Pontremoli (MS) and the stories will be published by Betti Editrice.

The award has been realised with the support of the leading municipalities of the Tuscan Via Francigena (Pontremoli, Lucca, Fucecchio, Siena) representing the 39 municipalities of the Vie Francigena, and in collaboration with the administration of Pontremoli and Monteriggioni, who will host the award ceremonies. Regione Toscana and the European Association of Via Francigena Ways (EAVF) are the two main partners of the 2018 edition. The deadline to participate is 15^th October.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE STORIES? 

·       Ostello di Santhià – Santhià (VC)

·       B&B Verde Musica – Borgofranco d’Ivrea (TO)

·       Residenza i Mille – Pavia (PV)

·       La locanda nel vento – Calestano (PR)

·       Le case del Centrale – Gambassi Terme (FI)

·       Ostello diffuso di Lusignana – Filattiera (MS)

·       Stella B&B Lucca – Lucca (LU)

·       Fraternita di Misericordia di S. Miniato Basso – San Miniato Basso (PI)

·       B&B Podere Fonternaccia – Colle di Val d’Elsa (SI)

·       Casa vacanze Platea delle Oche – Sutri (VT)

·       Casaletto del Pellegrino – Viterbo (VT)

·       B&B Ai Glicini – Frattocchie Marino (RM)

·       B&B La Scaletta – Formello (RM)

·       B&B Nonna Loreta – Formello (RM)

Find the coordinates, addresses and contact details of the aforementioned structures at www.viefrancigene.org

For more information and to download the competition forms visit http://www.betti.it/premio-francigena/

For more info and materials contact: premiofrancigena@betti.it – Tel. +39 351 8353373

On 8th September the “I Love Francigena” debuts in Emilia Romagna, the first two days of walking along the Emilian leg of Sigeric’s route.

The initiative, organised by the European Association of Via Francigena Ways (EAVF), in collaboration with APT Emilia-Romagna and with the technical support of ItinerAria S.r.l. and Associazione Fiorenzuola in Movimento, was born with the aim to animate, promote and enrich the European route.

Registration for the two events sold out in no time at all. The number of places was even increased to accommodate the growing number of participants. A real success of bookings arrived online (https://camminiemiliaromagna.it) which led to the early closing of registrations.

Sure enough, the hikers will be the protagonists of the trip which crosses two legs of the Francigena in the province of Parma and Piacenza. On the 8th September the participants will discover the Fidenza – Medesano leg (22,4km – medium). The day will begin at the station at 8:15am with a brief visit to the Cathedral. Between small breaks, guided visits and the Francigena landscape our participants will arrive at Medesano in the afternoon, where they will be greeted by the town administrators and an aperitif.

On the 15th September, “I Love Francigena” will animate the Fiorenzuola d’Arda – Fidenza leg (22,3km – easy), continuing the mission to discover the route, involving associations and administrators, making people aware of the territory and checking route maintenance, including signage. Participants will walk along easy, rural country roads, with their gazes turned to the horizon where the hills preannounce the Appennini.

An event to experience and narrate: the photos taken during the walk will be launched on the APT Emilia-Romagna and the European Association of Via Francigena Ways websites through a social campaign with the hashtags: #EmiliaRomagnaSlow, #ViaFrancigena and #ILoveFrancigena.

“I Love Francigena is a wonderful project experimented last year in Lombardy. This year it will take place in Emilia Romagna thanks to our collaboration with APT – says EAVF president, Massimo Tedeschi – It is an event that involves local communities, authorities and associations to promote the Via Francigena and its focus on the environment. It’s a format that gains approval and acceptance to share and extend on a European level in territories crossed by the Francigena”.

The two I Love Francigena dates have been organised in collaboration with and with the support of the municipalities of Fiorenzuola d’Arda, Fidenza and Medesano.

More information here

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Work days in Champlitte to develop the Via Francigena in France, where there is a continuous growth of pilgrims on the road.

On Thursday 9^th August, at the town hall, the local administrations and the European Association of the Via Francigena Ways met for a comparison of the ongoing and future planning of the Via Francigena in the long French stretch. The chairman, Massimo Tedeschi, the vice-president, Martine Gautheron and the director, Luca Bruschi, on behalf of the EAVF.

Since August 2016 the municipality of Champlitte has hosted the EAVF headquarters in France and is helping to set up the network of local players involved in the promotion and development of the European cultural route. Not long ago, on 18^th May Champlitte, located in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, hosted the EAVF General Assembly with a great turn out from the 4 countries of the Via Francigena: England, France, Switzerland and Italy.

15 municipalities and departments in France are members of EAVF to date. One of our latest additions is that of Calais, the starting point of the French section, while in September Besancon is expected to join.

The discussion between the administrators and the EAVF focused on the important project of the official Canterbury-Great St Bernard Pass guide, scheduled for release in April 2019. The guide, published by Suisse Itinerance and produced in collaboration with the EAVF, looks at both the GR145 route and Sigeric’s historical route.

In mid-September the agreement between the EAVF and the Federation Francaise de la Randonnee Pedestre will be formally signed in Paris and will make the GR145 route available to us.

The meeting in Champlitte’s also focused on other significant points, such as:

– hospitality for pilgrims and the improvement of reception facilities according to the minimum standards found in the Vademecum implemented by the EAVF and European regions.

– vertical and light signage to be placed in collaboration with municipalities and associations. A project to develop tourist information at the entrance to municipalities has also been envisaged.

– promotion through participation in trade fairs dedicated to hiking such as annual exhibitions in Paris, Lyon, Besançon.

– communication with the documentary film that will be launched in the spring of 2019 to raise awareness of the Canterbury-Alps section, involving about ten walkers.

On the following day, 10^th August, a further meeting took place to discuss the two-year renewal of the EAVF / Champlitte convention and to permanently establish an operational office to support the entire French section. The aim of the EAVF is to make the journey even more “international”, a meeting place for peoples and cultures of the Council of Europe’s cultural routes.