L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS In other words, none of our festivals are frozen in time; rather, they respond to it. Their heart, though, remains the same: participation, con- tinuity, and the joy of coming together. This year, with the Vati- can's Jubilee drawing global attention, many villages and towns – along with their tra- ditional fairs and celebrations – are finding themselves in the spotlight as part of offi- c i a l p i l g r i m a g e i t i n e r- a r i e s , w h i l e o t h e r s a r e receiving modest grants to support their events. That's how, while moving across the countryside and stopping in places they'd never otherwise v i s i t , p i l g r i m s d i s c o v e r a world of communities, histo- ries, and joyful traditions. If the sagre speak of gathering in place, pilgrimage repre- s e n t s m o v e m e n t , a n o t h e r kind of ritual, one that winds t h r o u g h h i l l s a n d v a l l e y s rather than town squares. Once seen as solemn or dis- tant, pilgrimage in recent y e a r s h a s b e c o m e m o r e grounded and personal; in 2025, as the Holy Year con- t i n u e s , m o r e p e o p l e a r e c h o o s i n g t o w a l k I t a l y ' s ancient routes not only for spiritual reasons, but also to reflect, disconnect, or simply slow down. The most well- known among them is the Via Francigena, a medieval path that stretches from Can- terbury to Rome; in 2024, m o r e t h a n 5 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e were recorded along parts of the trail, and that figure is expected to nearly double by the end of this Jubilee year. The Italian segment, stretch- ing across the Alps, down through Tuscany, Lazio, and into the capital, is especially well-marked and supported: hostels, small inns, and reli- gious guesthouses provide affordable lodging, while local businesses benefit from the steady flow of walkers. Along the way, the route passes through towns that bring the journey to life with summer festivals and com- munity events. In Fidenza, the Francigena Fidenza Festival animates the late summer with concerts, talks, and shared meals. Further south, the Tuscan stretch winds through towns like S a n G i m i g n a n o , M o n - t e r i g g i o n i , a n d S i e n a , where historic reenactments and cr aft fair s take pl ace throughout the hot season. In Umbria, pilgrims arriving in Bevagna in June may find themselves immersed in the Mercato delle Gaite, a w e e k - l o n g c e l e b r a t i o n o f medieval life complete with processions, artisan work- shops, and open-air taverns. Even close to Rome, in places like Campagnano di Roma, local councils have embraced the spirit of the pilgrimage with small festivals along the route, offering music, food, and a sense of welcome. But the Via Francigena is only one part of a larger net- work. Lesser-known routes have quietly gained populari- ty in recent years, and in 2 0 2 5 , m a n y o f t h e s e a r e experiencing their busiest season to date: the Cammi- no di San Benedetto, for instance, retraces the path of Saint Benedict from Norcia to Montecassino, covering a b o u t 1 8 7 m i l e s t h r o u g h Umbria and Lazio. It's a qui- eter route, with fewer official pilgrim hostels but a strong community of small family- run accommodations and rural parishes that offer hos- pitality. The people who walk it – about 4,000 in a typical year – often describe it as an experience of silence and simplicity. The landscapes are unassuming but truly connected to monastic histo- r y : o l i v e g r o v e s , b e e c h woods, hilltop abbeys. Further south, the Cam- mino Materano links the A p u l i a n t o w n o f B a r i t o UNESCO heritage site Mat- era, on a trail that combines the coast, the open inland plains of the Murgia, and his- toric towns built from pale stone. While less structured than the Francigena or the S a n B e n e d e t t o r o u t e , i t g a i n e d a l o y a l f o l l o w i n g , especially among Italians looking for a reflective jour- ney off the tourist trail. Some complete it in one go; others take it in sections, returning each year to pick up where they left off. None of these paths are c r o w d e d ; t h e y a r e n o t designed for mass tourism. B u t t h e y o f f e r s o m e t h i n g increasingly rare: a chance to see the country at walking pace, to talk with the people who live there, and to pass through places that aren't curated or controlled. Often, the pilgrim experience over- laps with local life in unex- pected ways: a walker arriv- ing in a town may stumble into a festival, or find that the only open restaurant is the o n e s e r v i n g s a g r a m e a l s under a canopy in the square. Other times, they may pass through early in the morning, with the smell of smoke and cooking oil still in the air from the night before. This quiet coexistence – between festivals that gather people and paths that move t h e m – d e f i n e s m u c h o f Italy's rural summers. You don't have to be religious to notice the rhythm: walking, pausing, entering a town, falling into step with its pace, then moving on. While many eyes are turned to Rome in this Jubilee year, what's hap- pening across the rest of the country is just as revealing. Millions may head to the cap- ital, but thousands more are quietly crossing the country- side on foot, passing through s m a l l t o w n s a n d r u r a l provinces. At the same time, those very towns are preparing for t h e e v e n t s t h a t h a v e l o n g characterized their summers: festivals tied to patron saints, harvests, and local traditions. The overlap between walking routes and community cele- brations may be symbolic, but it's also very practical, as t h e y b o t h d e p e n d o n t h e same web of people, places, and shared habits. They keep small economies going, bring life to public spaces, and help preserve local identity. In their own ways, they show how Italy continues to live with its history, not simply alongside it. So, it doesn't matter if you are sitting at a plastic table under fairy lights, or walking a quiet road towards the next town on the map: this sum- mer, this shared reality is vis- ible at every turn. Italy hosts between 20,000 and 30,000 local festivals each year, with the majority concentrated between June and September: some last a single evening, others fill an entire week CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Historical reenactments are also popular during the Italian summer (Photo: Giacomo Morini/Shutterstock) Onions are protagonists at the Festa della Cipolla in Cannara, Umbria (Photo: urf/IStock)

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