Assisi is a city of peace, dialogue, and spirituality, connected to the world through international pilgrimage routes and twinning partnerships. The Spiritually kindred routes link historic and sacred places while the Twinning Partnerships between cities strengthen cultural and spiritual ties with cities across different Countries, promoting brotherhood and meaningful exchange between communities.
As part of the project “Experience Assisi. Enhancing Franciscan sites through ethical and experiential nature itineraries”, supported by the Municipality of Assisi through co-funding from the Ministero del Turismo, the aim is to promote the Spiritually kindred paths in order to encourage cooperation between Assisi and other destinations around the world connected by spiritual walking routes.
The routes involved are:
● The Way of St Francis (Italy)
● The Way of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), recognised by UNESCO
● The Kumano Kodo Route (Japan), recognised by UNESCO
The objective is to foster encounters and exchange among different spiritual and cultural traditions, contributing to the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, the preservation of historical and environmental heritage, and the enhancement of slow, responsible tourism.
Spiritually kindred routes (“Cammini Fratelli”) is the shared identity that brings these spiritual routes together under a common vision. It is an invitation to brotherhood addressed to pilgrims: walking on foot, slowly crossing landscapes and borders, means nurturing a culture of solidarity, peace, and fraternity as essential elements of human development.
It follows the stages of the journey undertaken by San Francesco d’Assisi through Umbria and Lazio. It is an itinerary steeped in history, spirituality, and culture. Some sections overlap with the Via Francigena, currently a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status.
It is one of the most famous pilgrimage routes in the world, with its destination being the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its spiritual significance.
Located in Japan’s Kii region, it is a network of ancient sacred trails associated with Shinto and Buddhist religions. This route is also recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Assisi, the land of Saint Francis, is universally recognized as a city of peace and dialogue. Its history and culture have shaped around the city an international dimension, also reflected through twinning partnerships with cities around the world with which it shares bonds and values: Bethlehem (Palestine), San Francisco (USA), Santiago de Compostela (Spain), and Wadowice (Poland).
In the spirit of Franciscan values, it has also established Friendship Agreements with several Italian cities.
The twinning with Wadowice (Poland) celebrates the connection with Pope John Paul II and the “Spirit of Assisi,” promoting dialogue and the cultural, spiritual, and tourism development between the two communities.
