Antichi Cammini d'Italia Integrates Five Historic Routes with Smart Tech

Antichi Cammini d'Italia is a cultural and tourism initiative that unites five historic and religious routes across Italy—Via Francigena, Cammino di San Francesco, Cammino di San Benedetto, Romea Strata, and Via Romea Germanica—all converging in Lazio and Rome. Three of these routes are certified as Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Via Francigena since 1994, Via Romea Germanica since 2020, and Romea Strata since 2025. The project aims to position Italy as a top destination for walking tourism, decongest traditional circuits, promote sustainability, and leverage technological innovation. A smart signage system with 60 devices offers free Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy beacons linked to the Italia.it app, providing push notifications with route info, geolocated maps, and multimedia content. Over 1,000 information cards have been created for churches, monuments, and natural sites, with more than 40% of these being lesser-known excellences. The initiative also includes seven bus itineraries in Lazio—five following the routes and two focused on Rome: 'Roma Futura' (20th-century and contemporary architecture by Zaha Hadid, Renzo Piano, and Fuksas) and 'Chiese del Terzo Millennio' (new sacred architecture). These free tours require registration on Italia.it and feature multisensory experiences, storytelling, tastings, and gifts.