PROJECT:

Variant VALLE DI COMINO

"VIA MICAELICA"

OBJECTIF

Create a slow mobility route (pedestrian and partly equestrian) in the Valle di Comino with the aim of offering the opportunity to practice a healthy physical activity to individuals, groups of friends and families looking for an experience of renewable tourism of personal, religious, natural, archaeological, architectural, historical and cultural interest.

DESCRIPTION

The pedestrian route will join the town of Isola del Liri (Lazio) to Isernia (Molise) crossing in 6 stages of about 17 km each the Valle di Comino by the main axis Isola del Liri-Sora-Posta Fibreno-Alvito-Atina -Villa Latina-San Biagio Saracinisco

ASSETS
  • Notoriety and ever-growing societal success of the “walk” as a personal quest: Ways of Compostela, Via Francigena, Cammino di San Benedetto, etc…
  • Beauty of the surrounding wilderness and cultural heritage along the way.
  • Historical legitimacy of the route: since the Middle Ages our ancestors set off on foot from all corners of the Valle di Comino to reach the sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo in Puglia.
  • The route of the course is based on the words of the elders who once made the way.
  • The proposed variant is direct with respect to the current official route which, coming from Veroli, Casamari, arrives at Isola del Liri to branch off towards Roccasecca (via the tracciolino) and Monte Cassino before entering Molise at Venafro to reach Isernia and reach Monte Sant'Angelo.
  • The proposed route from Isola del Liri to Isernia mainly uses trails and white roads away from road traffic, unlike the official route which mainly uses the road network.
  • Possibility to leave the main axis of the route at any time to make small loops to visit the villages further away from the Valle di Comino.
  • The route of the via Micaelica sometimes takes the same paths as the via Francigena Sud (still under construction) and sometimes arrives at a junction with another hiking or pilgrimage route (cammino di Canneto, cammino di San Gerardo, cammino di Benedetto, etc. …
  • A list of small private reception facilities is provided at the end of each stage. The project is already well advanced.
  • The GPS route is already traced and a physical reconnaissance has already taken place last summer.
  • The project can count on the skills of an experienced guide in the person of Antonio Vano. The project is carried by the Euratina association characterized by its homogeneity, its dynamism and its independence from politics.
WEAKNESSES
  • The Valle di Comino variant of the Via Micaelica cannot take full advantage of the official route of the Via Micaelica starting in England and crossing France, Switzerland and Italy because everything suggests that the route is not very popular in Italy.
  • The GPS route and credentials for pilgrims are certainly issued on request by the www.Iubilantes.it association of Como, which created the route, but there is no physical signage of the routes, which, in addition, mostly take asphalt roads sometimes even quite busy with road traffic, thus taking away the pleasure of walking freely in nature.
  • The Via Micaelica is recognized by the Council of Europe as European cultural heritage but this recognition has been obtained by France only (Mont St Michel…)
  • Absence of a welcoming culture on the part of the natives. Lack of permanent presence of Euratina on site, which affects the efficiency of the project.
  • Limited own financial means, hence the need to resort to sponsorship and volunteering.
CHALLENGES
  • Search for local sponsors and volunteers without being on site all year round (physical signage of the course)
  • Cautious motivation of the municipalities concerned (maintenance of routes).
  • Need to find a someone who will advise walkers and answer their questions on social networks (existing infrastructure, culture and history, practical aspects (e.g. equipment for walking), etc...
  • Need to find a reference person who can answer historical and cultural questions online and in a documented manner.
ACTION PLAN
  • Finalize the GPX plotting of the route: Isola Liri-San Domenico (AV, April 2022)
  • Tests with hikers of the San Domenico-Posta Fibreno-Atina-San Biagio Saracinisco route (AV, June 2022)
  • Powerpoint presentation of the project to sponsors, municipalities and participating infrastructures: B&Bs, bars, restaurants, food shops, etc. (BDV/PHB, July 2022)
  • Tracing of small alternative routes linking outlying villages to the main axis of the route with the collaboration of the municipalities involved (AV/BDV, September 2022).
  • Physical tracing of the route (BDV/AV, August 2022).
  • Production of a promotional video and preparation for the 2023 season (PHB, September 2022).
BUDGET
  • The budget for the project has been estimated at approximately EUR 1,500. The expenses mainly relate to paint costs for the physical layout of the route and some signposts with directions and QR codes explaining local points of interest. Each panel will indicate the name of the sponsors (maximum 3 sponsors)