Italy launches 1,546‑km Cammino di Francesco pilgrimage route

On 30 July 2026 the Italian government unveiled the Cammino di Francesco – also called the Cammino della Luce – a 1,546‑kilometre network of walking trails that links sites associated with Saint Francis across six regions: Abruzzo, Emilia‑Romagna, Lazio, Marche, Tuscany and Umbria. The launch was announced at a press conference in the Presidency of the Council in Rome, moderated by Vice‑Secretary General Marco Villani and attended by Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi, Culture Under‑Secretary Pietro Cannella, committee president Davide Rondoni and other religious and regional representatives.

The route is presented as a national cultural‑tourism project aimed at promoting sustainable, experiential pilgrimage and boosting local economies. It will be integrated into the official Italian tourism platform, with maps and information available via a dedicated website and app. The initiative coincides with the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis’s death, which is also being marked by a large international youth gathering in Assisi. From 3 to 6 August 2026, more than 2,500 young people from across Europe and beyond will attend the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting, featuring workshops, pilgrimages along the new trail and a concluding Mass in the Porziuncola presided over by Pope Leone XIV.

In parallel, the Basilicata region in southern Italy has begun a feasibility study to create its own spiritual itinerary, the “Le Vie dell’Anima dell’Area Sud della Basilicata”, linking 27 municipalities and aligning with the national model. The Cammino di Francesco therefore serves both as a heritage‑preservation effort and a catalyst for regional development throughout Italy.