Bagno Vignoni and Saint- Jacques -de - Compostelle |
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Collection title
Tg1 Storia
First broadcast date
05/31/2010
Abstract
A Vignoni Bagno, in the province of Siena, there are popular thermal baths which were appreciated by pilgrims who used to travel through the Via Francigena in the Middle Ages. A document dating from 995 attests of the importance of this period. The Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky filmed a scene of "Nostalgia there".
Interview with Ugo Sani the historian of the city and the history of the Via Francigena.
Pilgrims follow the path of Saint Jacques de Compostela. The journey in Spain ends with the visit of the cathedral built by Gaudi in Barcelona and an interview with Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid.
Broadcaster
RAI - RAI Uno
Audiovisual form
Documentary
Primary theme
Tourist sites
Secondary themes
- Society and way of life / Religious Practices
Credits / Cast
- Olla Roberto - Author of original work
- Fiorilli Emanuele - Journalist
Original language
Italian
Additional information
Inserts from the film "Nostalgia" directed by Andrei Tarkovsky in 1983 .
Context
Bagno Vignoni and Saint Jacques de Compostelle
Nora Demarchi
The element that brings Bagno Vignoni and Compostela together is the fact that both these villages are often reached today by well-known routes used by walkers: the Via Francigena and the Chemin de St Jacques. But although Santiago de Compostela is the final destination along the pilgrim route connecting France to Galicia in northern Spain, Bagno Vignoni is only one of the places at which pilgrims stopped on their way. But what made Vignoni Bagno a particularly pleasant resting-place in the Middle Ages was its baths with thermal water in which pilgrims could find relief for all the aches and pain caused by walking.
The Voie des français, the way of the French, connected the land of the Franks to St Peter's tomb in the Vatican through a network of roads. In the Middle Ages it was one of three peregrinationes maiores, together with Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sigeric the Serious (died 994), walked the the whole distance in the tenth century, leaving a description of his route and the 81 stopping places along the way, which of course does not cover all the many variations that can be taken.
After the rediscovery of the road to Santiago in the 1970's, it was realized that in Italy there was also a pilgrim's route, although now mostly covered by motorways. Many associations got together in an attempt to breathe new life into the ancient tracks of the pilgrimage route, marking the way with painted symbols. Often they had to change the original route to avoid busy roads, preferring trails and footpaths.
In any case it was a project worked on day by day, with the support of Italian Ministry of Culture. It was necessary to create cheap lodgings to welcome and look after pilgrims, and to make the route safe near major roads or where there was a lot of traffic.
The model often quoted and copied is the Road of Santiago, which in 20 years has become one of the busiest routes used by religious people and ordinary tourists. The idea of living a few days immersed in nature, adopting a slow lifestyle, attracts walkers, and they return to “civilisation” excited and changed by their experience.
On October 23rd 1987 the Council of Europe recognized the importance of the many religious and cultural routes which criss-cross Europe to arrive in Santiago, declaring the Road to Santiago “a European Cultural Route” – financing initiatives to sign-post the route adequately.
Bibliography : brief and to the point
AA.VV. 2009 : Via Francigena : sulle orme di Sigerico, Milano, Touring Club Italiano.
Stopani, R. 1997 : La via Francigena, Roma, Ente Nazionale per Il Turismo.
Latini, R. 2011 : La via francigena da Canterbury alle Alpi, Milano, Terre di mezzo.
