Sunday, August 05, 2007

Prodi: restore Canterbury to Rome road


All roads are said to lead to Rome but Europe’s oldest pilgrimage route, which winds from Canterbury to Rome, the Via Francigena, has fallen into disuse in recent years.
Things could soon change, however, and the ancient road may feel the heavy tread of pilgrims’ feet as they head southwards once more.
Romano Prodi, Italy’s prime minister, lamented the fact that the Via Francigena had fallen into disuse during a radio programme about the Way of St James, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia, an Italian newswire, reported this week.
“It makes me very angry that we no longer have pilgrims walking towards Rome,” he said. “We do not need a constitution nor a great investment to rebuild the great pilgrim way, but heart.”
Mr Prodi is pushing the idea of revitalising the Via Francigena, which he called “a great heritage”.
Massimo Tedeschi, the president of the European Association of the Via Francigena, said that the Italian government had set aside a large part of the £7 million ancient roads budget.
Restoration on the most damaged parts of the road, which is first mentioned in the third century, will begin by next year, he said. He also said that a team of specialists will inspect the roads and assess the damage. Eight per cent of the Via Francigena is deemed dangerous to walk on.
The route, which is over 1,000 miles long, was once the only way to travel from northern Europe down to Rome. Archbishop Sigeric of Canterbury documented the route in 990, making the first known map, on his way to Rome to receive his pallium. Originally the road was called the “Lombard Way” before becoming the Iter Francorum, or “Way of the Francs”, before becoming the Via Francigena.

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