On Via Francigena, Pilgrims to Rome

8-9-2015 PCPNE

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On Monday, September 7 at Villa Mazzanti, the headquarters of "Roma Natura", a project was presented for the improvement of Via Francigena and the regional roads that connect to it.  

The project, under the direction of the Region of Lazio, aims to make it possible to reach Saint Peter's Basilica safely on foot by way of Via Francigena, the official route.

Nicola Zingaretti, the president of the Region of Lazio, exlained with satisfaction the goals reached by the project: “Within a few weeks it will be possible, finally, to enter Rome and arrive at Saint Peter’s on foot, thanks to the completion of the work bringing Via Francigena into a proper condition, a religious pathway that we offer to the world, and also a great opportunity to develop our territory”.

Via Francigena has been traveled for centuries by numerous pilgrims from all over Europe as they made their way to Rome.  During the Jubilee Year, this journey will have a special significance because it will conclude with the passage through the Holy Door.

Mons. Rino Fisichella, therefore, underlined how this pathway will be “significant and historic for the Jubilee, because we are seeking to make pilgrims around the world understand the importance of pilgrimage.  We need to take steps to make sure that they are received well.  Not only has pilgrimage united Europe, but it has also been an instrument of culture, and I hope that also today it may enrich the patrimony that belongs to us”.