The Sicilian Francigene Pilgrimage Routes

The article focuses on the medieval pilgrimage routes known as Sicilian Vie Francigene. The goal is to understand their cultural and touristic role within the current interest in slow itineraries, particularly relevant to Southern Italy and Sicily. A complex set of land, river, sea and air routes still connects all Europe, making it possible to consider traveling an existing road – or planning a new one – as a form of cultural integration. The expression ‘via Francigena’ in the Middle Ages referred to the road, or more specifically, the network of roads that connected all the regions of Europe to Rome, the Seat of the Pope. Because of the constant influx of pilgrims, the Francigena became synonymous with religious pilgrimage routes. ‘Via Francigena’ meant a pilgrimage route also in Norman Sicily, which was very sensitive to the practice. The massive Norman migration to southern Italy and Sicily is exemplary in its significance. They started their trip like pilgrims and eventually made a territorial conquest. It is possible to believe that the Sicilian Vie Francigene are part of the ancient trazzere network, the country roads used for herd movement, which connected directly the main towns in Sicily. The article includes maps of medieval itineraries as well as modern tourist routes.