2016 is the year of walking — the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Dario Franceschini, has officially proclaimed it so, more precisely the Anno nazionale dei cammini (National Year of Walking Routes). Italy has more than 6,500 km of nature, religious, cultural and spiritual walking routes, often little known, waiting to be walked so that an ever-growing number of people — not just keen trekkers — can discover the potential of our territory.

There's a route for everyone

It is an excellent opportunity to start walking, for those who have never tried it, or to venture into unknown itineraries, for the more experienced: 2016 is the year of walking, of routes travelled on foot in search of oneself, of peace, or simply for the pure pleasure of doing so. It celebrates the passion of many, but above all our country, its paths and the wonders that run through it.

People often look for trails far from home without realising that Italy is rich in walking routes in every region, in every corner of the country. Each one has its own distinctive character. From those that require many days to complete, to those with just a few but intense stages, the experience gained is always profound, both on a human and a naturalistic level. You come across other walkers, discover unexpected rural realities, or simply appreciate the effort involved. Almost seek it out.

Trail: Il Cammino della rosa

The route we recommend for starting this 2016 on foot is the Cammino della rosa, also known as the Cammino di Sant'Agostino: it is a pilgrimage route conceived to link, across its stages, the twenty-five Marian shrines located in the Brianza area. But take note: do not be put off by the religious dimension of the undertaking. Those who walk it need not be motivated by faith; they can simply appreciate the destinations for their artistic and naturalistic qualities.

The distinctive feature of this route is the shape of the path, which traces a stylised figure of a rose.

This rose has its flower in the Brianza of Como, Lecco and Monza, its leaves extending east and west along the Provinces of Monza and Brianza, Milan, Varese and Bergamo, its stem connecting the cities of Monza, Milan, Pavia and Genoa along a long north–south axis, and its roots linking the "Augustinian" cities of Tunis-Carthage, Thagaste and Hippo, on African soil.

The flower is a closed circular route of 352 km, ideally to be walked in 15 days: it begins and ends in Monza, passing through 30 Marian shrines. The eastern leaf runs from Milan to Monza heading east: 99 km along the Villoresi and Martesana canals. The western leaf leads from Monza to Milan to Monza heading west, 91 km along the Villoresi canal and the Vie d'Acqua of the Expo 2015 area. The stem connects the cities of Monza, Milan, Pavia and Genoa along the Naviglio Grande, the Naviglio Pavese and subsequently along the Apennine Via del Sale, for a total overall length (taking into account the outward and return journeys on separate routes from Pavia to Genoa) of 384 km. Finally, the roots connect, on African soil, the native routes of Augustine, linking the cities of Tunis-Carthage, Thagaste and Hippo. The total length in North Africa, from Tunisia to Algeria and back, is 605 km and 30 days of walking. A long and demanding route that can nonetheless be completed by everyone if methodically broken down into stages.