Sissy from Sisu writes about the restoration in Italy of a medieval pilgrims' footpath. From Life in Italy:
"Via Francigena, the route which started in Canterbury, in southeast England, and meandered down through France, across the Alps near Aosta, down through Parma to Tuscany before reaching Rome."
The very route that the Canterbury Tales characters walked upon! Great, I'm all for restoration of our Christian heritage. Bring back the 1,200 mile footpaths and let's get walking! Sissie always provides so much context and commentary, including this from EUROSOC:
"....as the light of Europe's Christian heritage continues to dim in some areas and becomes an issue of contention in others, restoring the route has become an important history lesson. Europe developed along these ancient pilgrims' roads, as learning and ideas carried by the pilgrims travelled back and forth along the roads: They were the continent's main communications networks, and cities fortunate enough to find themselves on the route became cosmopolitan centres thanks to the people passing through them (and sometimes staying)."
If you speak Italian, you might be interested in the Friends of the Via Francigena site. I detect the subtle, warm influence of Papa Ratzi here, this project is right up his alley. Sissie's closing words:
"But If "believing and walking together" is what it takes to raise our European brethren out of their slough of dhimmitude, we say put on your sensible shoes and start walking!"
Where's the trackback, fergossake? I added a link to your post in an update to mine . . . Hmmmmm.
Posted by: Sissy Willis | August 22, 2007 at 05:08 PM
well, Chaucer's pilgrims ended in Canterbury... but it's still cool.
Posted by: Fred | August 23, 2007 at 11:19 PM
from one via Francigena advocate to another .... take a look at our guidebooks, just out, after much pain and strain.
You can get to them through our website www.pilgrimagepublications.com
Posted by: babette | April 21, 2008 at 10:32 AM