Italy Launches Project to Link Five Pilgrimage Routes in Lazio

Italy is developing an integrated tourism project called Antichi Cammini d'Italia to connect five historic pilgrimage routes that cross the country and converge in Lazio and Rome. The routes are the Via Francigena, the Way of Saint Francis, the Way of Saint Benedict, the Romea Strata, and the Via Romea Germanica. Three of the routes hold certification as Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.

The Via Francigena has held certification since 1994, the Via Romea Germanica since 2020, and the Romea Strata since 17 June 2025. The Way of Saint Francis and the Way of Saint Benedict pass through sites tied to Franciscan and Benedictine traditions, including the Holy Valley of Rieti, Subiaco, and Montecassino.

All five routes meet in Lazio, covering areas from the Tuscia of Viterbo to the Aniene Valley and Rome.

The initiative aims to create a unified tourism and cultural system that promotes slow tourism, sustainability, and technological innovation. It is intended to reduce pressure on established tourist sites and extend visitor activity into less-visited areas and across a longer season. The project responds to rising interest in authentic, low-impact travel experiences.