Via Francigena and the Pilgrimage Ways. This is Europe" PER VIAM - Pilgrims' Routes in Action

The project is about The Via Francigena and the other trans-national pilgrimage routes certified by the Council of Europe as tools of sustainable cultural tourism development and community participation to the enhancement of Europe’s cultural and heritage diversity. The project aims at encouraging and strengthening the European cooperation among public-private partners involved in all levels of governance of the European cultural route of The Via Francigena. The project partners will cooperate within the framework of a consortium in the aim to promote a responsible and sustainable approach toward cultural-tourism along The Via Francigena. They will improve visibility and communication (European cultural festival, dissemination material, web portal, walking event) as well as knowledge and accessibility of the route (institutional planning meetings, workshop and scientific seminars) in order to improve slow-tourism experience along The Via. Thanks to the involvement of Institutions, European networks and grassroots organizations the project also aims to lay the foundation for the future creation of a European network of the main pilgrimage routes certified by the Council of Europe: the Via Francigena, the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrims’ Routes, the Saint Michael Ways, the Route of Saint Olav Ways, the Saint Martin of Tours Route. Project duration: 12 months Università di Bologna - Polo Scientifico e Didattico di Rimini e Scuola Superiore di Scienze Turistiche, Rimini (IT) is Co-beneficiary. The European Universities, Network of Knowledge (EUNeK) The reference partner for this action is the University of Bologna in cooperation with SiTI – Istituto Superiore sui Sistemi Territoriali per l’Innovazione – Politecnico di Torino (I). Associated partners: University of Pavia (I), University of Salento (I), Fondazione Campus Lucca (I), University Panthéon-Sorbonne of Paris (FR), Study Centre on Landscape of Cambridge (UK), University of Barcelona – Fundaciò Bosch I Gimpera – Faculty of Geography and History (ESP); Società Geografica Italiana (I) Key-word: network of knowledge Creation of a network of European universities in support of the Via Francigena and of the Cultural Routes, together with Research Institutes, which have already been working on this topic for ages. The Universities and the Research Institutes involved in this network, which aim to lay the foundations for the creation of a sound European network, draw on the experience of the European Association of the Via Francigena Ways in order to create a group of Universities in support of scientific research, education and didactic along the Via Francigena. These universities are already connected together by means of a series of experiences: the University of Bologna (Polo Scientifico e Didattico di Rimini e Scuola Superiore di Scienze Turistiche) leader of this action, has been part of the Chair UNESCO/UNITWIN "Tourism, Culture and Development" of the University Panthéon-Sorbonne of Paris since 2005. A network which includes several subjects and fosters multicultural dialogue through scientific research and the exchange of best practices, in support of the development and research in the sector of tourism at European level between different institutes. The topics proposed in the different training workshops are several: Religious routes and European Universities, old cultural crossroads of knowledge. A Francigena project from Middle Age (University of Pavia); Via Francigena Ways and connections with the Ways of St. James (University of Barcelona); Integration of the European Network of the Via Francigena with the other Pilgrimage Routes (University Panthéon-Sorbonne of Paris); The Via Francigena in the framework of the European Sustainable Tourism Development Projects (Fondazione Campus Lucca);The Via Francigena in the South of Italy and the Routes in the Mediterranean Area (University of Salento). http://www.economiarimini.unibo.it/Ec...