In 1994 on the representation of the Italian Ministry of Tourism, the
Committee for Cultural Itineraries of the Council of Europe
agreed to promote the theme of the Via Francigena, to complement that
of the Pilgrim Way to Santiago de Compostella, and thereby form the
larger theme of historic pilgrimages in Europe.
The itinerary chosen revived an ancient pilgrim route to Rome, which
reached its peak in the thirteenth century. The itinerary starts in
Canterbury and ends in Rome, crossing France and Switzerland. It
revisits the route taken by the then archbishop of Canterbury, when
he went to Rome in 990 to meet Pope John XV.
Work groups were set up by the Ministry of Tourism, and exhibitions
and conventions were organised. A leading objective of this
initiative was of course to set up a route for the Jubilee in Rome in
the year 2000.
But quite apart from the Jubilee, it offers to the Europeans of the
21st century the opportunity to walk once again historic roads,
enabling them better to understand how their predecessors viewed
Europe, its values, its cultures.
To understand cultural and natural heritage along the European
routes, entails above all understanding one's fellow human beings,
and learning to share and to tolerate.
In Italy the Via Francigena crosses the road to Santiago, which
facilitates cooperation between the two itineraries. But for the
rest of Europe, as this Vademecum, stage by stage, describes so well,
the itinerary and the pilgrimage of one man, Sigeric, as documented
in the diary where he describes the stages of his journey,
crisscrosses the many routes used by those making their way to other
centres of pilgrimage: Compostella, Rome and Jerusalem.

For the first two years, the itinerary and the network it engendered
was financed by the European Union. But ministerial strategies evolve
and the Ministry of Tourism turned to a more decentralised structure,
allowing local authorities to form their own plans.
The initiative of relaunching a truely European cooperation fell to
Mme Adelaide Trezzini, who decided, a few years ago, to create an
Association to promote the historical study of the way and provide
pilgrims as well as tourists with information on lesser known
sections.

The "Association Via Francigena" signed a partnership agreement with
the Institute four years ago, to study how to establish a continuous
route through the different countries and communities involved, and
prepare a common information and documentation policy.

So we welcome the publication today of the second Vade-mecum, which
makes concrete the reborn continuity of the way. As Mme Trezzini
wrote to us recently: "The Via Francigena is now reality!" This "cri
de joie" will surely be shared by the numerous Europeans who choose to
experience Europe following the route and discovering the paths that
make up the historical stages.
For our part, we will continue our cooperation by linking the
Association's website with our own, so as to offer all those
interested in this important page of our shared history all the
information they seek concerning our common heritage.