Ways, the Jubilee boost for the Via Francigena: +34% of credentials and turnover of 25 million
The share of foreigners increased last year to 53%
Key points
The numbers are not those of the Cammino de Santiago, the most famous in the world, a Unesco heritage site since 1993, which crosses Europe and, after the most famous stretches in France and Spain, 'conquers' the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. But also for the via Francigena that from Canterbury, in the United Kingdom, after 3,200 kilometres arrives in Rome, crossing France, Switzerland and seven Italian regions (the Toscana is the most frequented) and then heading south to Santa Maria di Leuca towards Jerusalem and the Holy Land, popularity is growing. The Camino de Santiago generates an income of 300 million, the Via Francigena 25 million. A year ago (February 2025) a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two religious itineraries.
Pellegrini on the rise
If the pellegrinos attracted to the church that houses the relics of the apostle St James, patron saint of Spain numbered 530 thousand (a historical record), estimates for the the recently concluded jubilee year speak of about 100 thousand people along the Via Francigena (certified in 1994 as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe): according to the analysis of the European Association of the Via Francigena the credentials distributed were more than 19 thousand (+35.95% on 2024), while more than 12 thousand pilgrims received the Testimonium in Rome (+117.96%). But it must be considered that, according to the same association, this is a small portion (15%) of those who actually set out on the journey: there are those who do not use their credentials (25%), those who use them for several years (30%) without considering those who have credentials distributed by other countries (30%).
The credential, or 'pilgrim's passport', is the official document that accompanies every traveller and bears witness to their journey. Along the way, pilgrims can collect stamps at tourist offices, parishes, accommodation and refreshment facilities, confirming the stages they have travelled.
More foreigners. Most start in September
In addition to growing, the route (traced back to the itinerary travelled by Bishop Sigeric of Canterbury in 990 A.D.) is becoming more international: the foreign share is 53%, consisting mainly of Americans, French, Germans, Australians, Dutch, Spanish and British.
Walking tourism (but actually 14% use bicycles) has a seasonal adjustment effect: September is the preferred period to leave (19%) with April (13%), May and October (12%) at the back.
