Author: Redazione AEVF

The past 20th of February, at the Officine Cantelmo in Lecce, the results of the South Cultural Routes project were presented, with the valorisation of the Salento tract of the Via Francigena in the South.

The meeting was organised by the association of “La casa delle comunità ospitanti degli Itinerari Francigeni della Puglia meridionale” as an event of the project, with the support of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, Regione Puglia, Puglia Promozione and the European Association of the Vie Francigene. 

Speaking at the event were Loredana Capone – Assessor of Tourism and Culture of Regione Puglia, Carlo Salvemini – Mayor of Lecce,  Angelofabio Attolico – European Association of the Vie Francigene, Anna Trono – University of Salento, Gianluca Bambi –  University of Firenze, Michele Del Giudice – Association of Cultural Routes, Renato Di Gregorio – President of IRIFI, Gaetano Cusenza – President of Unione dei Comuni Foggiani, Maria Rosaria Buri – President of Soroptimist Lecce. The meetings were moderated by Luigi Del Prete of the association of “Le Comunità ospitanti degli Itinerari delle Vie Francigene della Puglia meridionale”.

The main element of the South Cultural Routes project is the integrated valorisation of cultural, landscape and environmental heritage of the Salento tract. The events were developed by Regione Puglia, Puglia Promozione, the European Association of the Vie Francigene, in collaboration with Itineraria e In Itinere, association of “La casa delle comunità ospitanti degli Itinerari Francigeni della Puglia meridionale”, experts and scholars of the area.

The study and project. Over the past months the three “Francigena” directions which cross Puglia-Salento from North to South were decided: one along the Adriatic coast (via Traiana-Calabra), one along the Ionian coast (via Sallentina) and the third internal (via Leucadense). They are ancient historical routes which, over the Middle Ages, were utilised to reach the ports of the Salento peninsular to the Holy Land, as well as to reach Leuca: “Finis Terrae” the last beacon of Italy, first sanctuary of Europe and the World of the Marian cult.

These three routes have been defined as archaeological routes thanks to the materials published by academics and local historians: precious in the sense that they are the result of the contributions of Universities in Puglia, whose research teams spent the past twenty years identifying the ancient communication carriers. After studying the sources and definitions of the archaeological route, they proceeded with the delineation of the  contemporary viability both through research and reconnaissance and examinations in the field, followed by communication with associations and residents of the rest-stop towns. The project expects to lay vertical and horizontal signage, utilising the parameters of the signage abacus of the European Association of the Vie Francigene.

On site examination and results. The survey work and checking of the pedestrian route of the Francigena in Puglia aims to take a GPS measurement of the Via Francigena-Via Traiana Calabra routes, of the Via Francigena from Otranto to S. Maria di Leuca, of Via Sallentina from Taranto to S. Maria di Leuca, of Via Leucadense from Lecce to S. Maria di Leuca. This work has been accompanied by a technical report which marks the route’s criticalities and opportunities for improvement, it marks the route’s attractions (points of interest, services, accommodation), it documents the data collected regarding cultural, landscape and environmental heritage, regarding accommodating structures and the services along the route.

Around 20,000 geo-reference photographs have been produced, as well as maps of the route; GPS tracts; documents describing the cultural, landscape and environmental heritage; and lastly the implementation of vertical and light signage (stickers and paint) along the three directions, with the involvement of local communities and the coordination of the “Casa delle comunità ospitanti degli Itinerari Francigeni della Puglia meridionale” (House of the hosting communities of the Francigena Routes of Southern Puglia).

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The ‘Tuscan Via Francigena‘ will be the first homogeneous touristic product launched since the regional law came into force.

To take stock of the progress of the routes, maintenance, touristic value, accommodation and coordination with other routes, the last cycle of the ‘Our Francigena‘ meetings took place, on Friday 23rd February, in the Auditorium del Consiglio regionale of Florence.

The initiative, organised by Regione Toscana, the managing director of the Via Francigena president, Toscana Promozione Turistica and Fondazione Sistema Toscana, in collaboration with the European Association of the Vie Francigene, was launched last November; five stops (Fucecchio, Pontremoli, Siena, Lucca and Florence) to include all those involved in the structuring of the touristic product. 

State of the route. The walking route has now been established and will soon be approved as a definite track. The cycle route has been marked and the last critical points are currently being verified before the final route is approved; the region has recently made 315 thousand euros available to put towards the signage and security of the route, works should conclude by the summer. The bridleway is at a similar stage, where some problems in the Cisa-Lucca tract are being solved through taking advantage of the Cammino del Volto Santo; the work for the vertical and horizontal signage (in accordance with RET-Rete Escursionistica Toscana-standards) has been assigned to the University of Florence. This will mean a georeferenced update will be necessary by the end of 2018. 

Homogeneous Touristic Product of Tuscany. 39 municipalities in 4 distinct areas with four leading municipalities: North (Pontremoli), Central North (Lucca), Central South (Fucecchio), South (Siena). All those involved have signed an agreement and the leaders are currently formalising operative protocols with Toscana Promozione Turistica (promotion) and Fondazione Sistema Toscana (web communication). The aim of the agreement is to enable: the practice of hospitality and touristic information on a supra-local level, periodical maintenance, the promotion and access of the touristic product, and the monitoring and analysis of touristic flow. An operative and coordinating group will be established for a complete, unitary promotion of the product, as well as a three-year plan which will foresee its inclusion in sector fairs and the realisation of events and campaigns. 

Maintenance. The walking route has been categorised into four categories: roads, white ways, dirt tracks and trails. For each of these necessary maintenance activities have been identified as well as implementation methods. 360 thousand euros have been made available for usual maintenance over the three-year period.

Touristic Monitoring of the Product. This is the tool available for the touristic product, with tasks including the constant valuing of sustainability and competitiveness of hospitality and territorial organisation through the inclusion of all those who operate in the area. Irpet will periodically supply survey statistics and analysis regarding the product and its supply and demand with details of medium and short-term periods, of the increase of presence generated by the main national and international markets, medium tourist spending, data on added value and employment benchmark analysis. 

Tourism Infrastructure. The main aim is to create a hostel network which allows bookings through an integrated system and digital reservations. An information activity will soon begin to make people aware of the typology introduced by the new regional law on tourism, that is excursionist shelter, a normative tool which enables the creation of hospitality along routes with simple and specific managerial rules. Currently 15 hostels are financed by Par-Fas 2007-2013, with a total of 487 beds. A reconnaissance of religious structures which offer free accommodation for pilgrims has almost been concluded. Lastly, minimum standards for private accommodation will soon be formalised.  

Coordination and connections with other routes. The completion of the project as a whole also includes the connection with other routes, such as the Via del Volto Santo, Via Romea Strata and Via Romea Germanica. The preparation of a masterplan is also proceeding, with rules and methods for all those who, along the lines of the Francigena, want to organise a route on foot, by bike or on horseback. The document will identify the security and viability characteristics as well as organisational, maintenance and accommodation rules for the route. These potential routes include the Vie di Francesco, the Via degli Dei and the Cammini Etruschi. 

Source: Toscana Notizie

The Via Francigena is a route which attracts pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. For this reason, the portal of the European Association of the Vie Francigene, has become even more international.

After the versions in English, French and Spanish, the official site of the Via Francigena is now available in German too, including all the information relative to the route, hospitality and news useful for travellers.

Germany has always been a land of walking and has many passionate people who traverse the Via Francigena. Europe is a network of routes which unite culture and people on a slow-paced journey without limits. The Via Romea Germanica unites Stade, in Lower Saxony to Rome. Over 2,200km of route which crosses Germany, Austria and Italy and, in Montefiascone, joins the Via Francigena. Roads of yesterday and today rediscovered by new generations of hikers, lovers of nature and trekking.

The journey of modern travellers begins with the web and the European Association of the Vie Francigene (EAVF), réseau porteur of the Council of Europe since 2007, supplies them with all the tools needed to face and experience Sigeric’s route as a human, spiritual and touristic-cultural experience. 

In order to select the language of the site www.viefrancigene.org, just click on the flag icon in the top right-hand corner and select the preferred language.

As well as the official website, where the EAVF promotes the Via Francigena in Italian, English, French and Spanish, other tools are available to pilgrims such as the newsletter, the official magazine  “Via Francigena and the European Cultural Routes”, and recently, the new official smartphone app(Android and iOS).

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The official app of the Via Francigena has been selected for the #Winning Ideas Outdoor Awards of the new Fiera Outdoor Expo planned from the 2nd to the 4th March at the Bologna fair.

The application is competing in the “Innovation – Digital Revolution: 10 ideas to change tourism” category, and from 6pm on Monday 26th February for 24 hour the public will be able to vote for the project in the dedicated Facebook post of the “Outdoor Expo“ event.

Shares and likes of the photo will help the Francigena’s app to win! The public votes on Facebook with those expressed by the panel of judges will be added to decide the winner of the category.

The app, developed by the European Association of the Vie Francigene (EAVF), is among the most significant entrepreneurial initiatives launched in Italy to develop tourism through innovation and digital technology, based on maps realised with Start Up Tourismo and Formica Blu. The competition #Winning Ideas brings together 143 projects divided into 7 categories: creativity, originality, taste, sustainability, innovation, sporting events and videos.

The projects will be valued by seven expert judges and a citizen jury which will be able to contribute by voting for their favourite candidate on the ‘Outdoor Expo’ Facebook page. A winning idea will be selected for each category which will be officially awarded on Friday 2nd  March at 17 at the 25-26 pavilion at the Bologna Fair.

Available for iOS and Android, the official Francigena app is a free smartphone guide for pilgrims and tourists on foot or by bike who want to discover Sigeric’s route; circa 1000km divided into 45 rest-stops from the Great St Bernard Pass to Rome. The app is currently available in Italian and English and as well as having gps navigation, the new app is more user friendly with an alarm which sounds if the wrong route is taken and the ability to send notifications of potential criticalities along the route. With the “go to” function in the hospitality section, pilgrims can find accommodation following the instructions on the screen. 

The app was designed by ItinerAria Srl, a specialist company and expert EAVF partner, with the contribution of the Italian regions crossed by the route (Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio) and the Swiss Vaud and Vallese cantons.

(Find below the flyer for the Outdoor Expo Fair of Bologna)

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The new Via Francigena app competing in the #Winning Ideas  Outdoor Awards