The project aims to start a census of all the Paths of the Christian Faith present on Italian territory, thus building a large network that, over time, will expand with the addition of new paths and the involvement of other subjects.

The objective of the project is to produce a comprehensive census of all Christian pilgrimage routes on the territory of Italy for the purpose of developing a unified network that will expand over time with the incorporation of new routes and the involvement of additional entities.

On the occasion of the Holy Year, seven itineraries will be proposed which, because of their characteristic feature of ending in Rome, may be referred to as the Jubilee Routes of the Churches in Italy. These are: the northern and southern Via Francigena, the Via di Francesco, the Via Lauretana, the Via Amerina (also known as the Path of Light), the Via Romea Strata and the Via Matildica.

Thanks to cooperation with the Ad Limina Petri association, the initiative will facilitate the monitoring of pilgrims’ itineraries along the designated Pilgrimage Routes. Moreover, the spiritual and cultural significance of the routes’ “message” will be enhanced, along with providing spiritual welcome for pilgrims at least in the main destinations. All parties involved, including businesses, will be offered dedicated training programmes to increase their knowledge of this experience and enhance its religious and spiritual dimension.

At the diocesan level, collaboration with local referents coordinated by a national secretariat will foster the development of synergies between ecclesial realities, facilitate shared decision-making, and support the Jubilee preparation processes in conjunction with civil institutions.

In order for a route to be designated as a Pilgrimage Route, it must meet specified civil recognition criteria. These include: a clearly marked and accessible path; a website, georeferencing, tourist services, a logo, credentials, and signage. In addition, it must qualify as a religious and spiritual destination by virtue of its historical relevance and the preservation of memories, symbols and legacy of saints and rituals connected with the Route; the presence of pilgrims, accommodation facilities and associations dedicated to pilgrimages; the appointment of a contact person or diocesan recognition and the registration with Ad Limina Petri.

A web application aimed at accompanying pilgrims on their journey, providing them with useful insights and information, is the first tool of this project. Developed by the Information Technology Service of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), with external collaboration, the web application will provide guidance to pilgrims by proposing Points of Ecclesial Interest (PIE), geo-referenced for immediate use. These Points of Interest will be grouped into three sections covering the pilgrims’ basic needs: to pray, to eat, to sleep. Each Pilgrimage Route, highlighted by ancient and contemporary testimonies, will be featured in the App according to its historical and religious value.

Pilgrims are invited to complete at least 100 km on foot or 200 km by bicycle along one of the Jubilee Routes, even if they do not reach Rome. Once this number of kilometres has been covered, the web application will generate a travel certificate which will entitle the pilgrim to receive a Testimonium from the competent authorities (during the Jubilee, the Dicastery for Evangelisation – Department for fundamental questions regarding evangelisation in the world).