The journey in search of one’s origins and family history turns to gaining deep self-awareness. This trip to Emilia-Romagna can also become a true pilgrimage on the road thanks to a widespread network of itineraries covering the entire territory.

But why should a root traveler know them and walk them?

The 20th century was a century of great change in the World and especially in Europe. It was the century that gradually led to the abandonment of rural areas and particularly the Apennines in favor of downstream city centers in pursuit of a life of greater prosperity. But above all, it was the century of the great wars that completely transformed life in the beautiful country.

Emilia-Romagna was a real battlefield, from the coast to the Apennines, where the Partisan Resistance was a major player within the war conflict. Stories of heroism and revenge, but also of heinous massacres that serve as the backdrop for these places to have memories of.

Here, in this context, the walks are an opportunity to get away from the present and reconnect with the places of historical memory, the heroic events of the partisans, but also to learn about the ancient fundamental connections between the villages. Precisely those villages that tell us about the life of our past in which to savor again the tastes and smells of ancient recipes, listen to the words of those who still hand down the wisdom of these places.

On the occasion of the Year of the Cammini established by Mibact (2016), all territorial forces in the region joined forces under the aegis of APT Servizi Emilia-Romagna, creating an interactive mapping service of all the intangible and material heritage related to it. The result of the working table is the networking of 20 itineraries among caminos and pilgrimage routes that form a road network of hundreds of kilometers and lead to the discovery of as many monumental and scenic beauties. Most of them crossed the region in a south-north direction since their goal was to cross the Apennines to reach Tuscany and then Rome, the center of the country’s economic and religious affairs.

On the Camminiemiliaromagna.it portal, individual maps of the paths with all the detailed information are available. An unmissable opportunity to get to know Emilia-Romagna in a slow, sustainable way and in close contact with its history.