ENIT, documentary on the Via Francigena presented with Minister Garavaglia. Over 3,000 kilometres of human journeys revolutionised by travel
PRESS RELEASE
VIA FRANCIGENA, MINISTRY, AND ENIT:
DOCUMENTARY FILM RELEASED ON AN UNSEEN ITALY, TRAVELLED ON FOOT IN FOUR MONTHS
STORIES AND FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCES ALONG THE ITALIAN NETWORK OF TOURIST ROUTES
OVER 3,000 KILOMETRES OF HUMAN JOURNEYS REVOLUTIONISED BY TRAVEL
A PROJECT REALISED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD
Four months, 3,200 kilometres. The European relay march of the Via Francigena has become a documentary film featuring the stories, the projects showcasing the territory, and the personal accounts of travellers along the epic pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome, up to the 'Finibus terrae' of Santa Maria di Leuca, in Puglia.
The European march - created with the support of ENIT - led to the production of a docufilm that pays tribute to a memorable four-month hike through England, France, Switzerland and Italy along Sigeric's historic itinerary, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the European Association of the Via Francigena Ways.
Over 3,500 travellers followed the Road to Rome on foot along with 28 bloggers, 11 video makers and dozens of journalists, and just as many Tik Tok influencers, Youtubers and Instagrammers.
In addition to 16 regional videos, 55 reels, 1000 high-resolution photographs, 117 blog articles in English, Italian and French, 117 podcasts, a magazine entirely dedicated to the event and over 500 articles were published in the international press.
Human journeys revolutionised by travel, as Myra Stals, the face of Road to Rome, describes: she walked the entire journey, describing it as “an experience that involved the whole body and mind, because walking every day through 16 regions and 638 municipalities was the hardest work ever done from the heart. I call on all young people’s spirit of initiative so they can find the space and the yearning to set out on their journey.”
Compared to 2019, there is a clear increase in the number of young people deciding to walk the Francigena: those under 17 make up 5% (2% in 2019) while 13% are 18-24 year olds. The highest percentage is in the age range of 45-54 (21%). The presence of young people on the route is a crucial element that testifies to the attractiveness of this experiential and cultural journey even for a target group that until now had little presence on the Via Francigena. The route is already visited by people from 80 countries from all around the world.
The documentary film “Road to Rome” was presented at ENIT - Italian National Tourist Board.
It was attended by Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia, as well as Massimo Tedeschi, AEVF President and Sergio Valzania, writer and historian.
"Last year, with this great voyage of over 3,000 kilometres - two thirds of which were in Italy - we have invested in the restart of slow tourism: the figures confirm that “start again!”
- the slogan of the initiative - was a good omen. The numbers of people walking the Via Francigena, in Italy and other countries, confirm that. The support for the candidature of the Francigena as a UNESCO World Heritage Site also had an important effect,” said Massimo Tedeschi.
“These are paths that make travel a widespread place. The underlying thread is storytelling, with stories of people we meet along the way and marking a return to real experiences, charged with the expectations and emotions that have been enhanced with the arrival in Italy of the “Road to Rome” relay march with a tangible impact with a Peninsula and a way of life that is unique in the world,” declares ENIT CEO Roberta Garibaldi.
The docufilm will be made available to all members of the European Association of the Via Francigena Ways (municipalities and local associations) and project partners and will soon be on the official channels of WWW.VIEFRANCIGENE.ORG with three versions in Italian, French and English.
Francesca Cicatelli
ENIT Press Office
Phone: (+39) 392.9225216
e-mail: francesca.cicatelli@enit.it