Sabrina MENEGHELLO, University of Padua, Italy
The relationship between modern pilgrimages and walking tourism has been increasingly investigated in literature over the last few years also stimulated by emerging travel needs arising from the pandemic.
Starting from an interdisciplinary perspective crossing tourism and landscape studies, the paper presents some preliminary considerations on the most recent development processes affecting the Italian Way of St. Anthony, one of the most venerated saints in Christian history.
Consolidated by the religious community of the well-known cathedral in Padua and numerous volunteers around the transregional itinerary of 400 km linking the St. Anthony’s places in Veneto with places of his various peregrinations in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany, the Way has recently evidenced more efforts in institutional involvement, site inspections and religious events aimed at increasing its growth and visibility at national level.
Problematising the underlying mobilization of principles such as cultural identity, social cohesion and economic development shared with the most famous European pilgrimage routes, the aim of the research is to unveil frictions and contrasting definitions of walking route emerging from the voices of religious institutions, administrators, volunteers and walkers.
Despite the pandemic restrictions, the epistemic perspective of situated knowledge has been maintained by implementing an online survey based on the app Survey123 by ArcGis and also conducting semi-structured interviews “on the move”, walking in the footsteps of the saint with pilgrims and tourists.
The results have returned a map of unexpected and multifaced St. Anthony’s landscapes oscillating among different gradients of spiritual values, experiences of sociability, and search for attractive places and tourism services.
All instances should be evaluated in future planning decisions also considering new pandemic needs of territories and travellers.
Mots clés : Walking Routes|Tourist landscapes|Territorial development|Travellers' motivations|St. Anthony's Way
A104183SM