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Roadman’s houses are “donated” to promote sustainable tourism
An initial project of 30 roadman’s houses scattered on a ridge that connects the via Francigena to the Appian Way through bike paths.
Roadman’s houses will be part of a project aimed to promote sustainable tourism and, at the same time, build bike tourism. The cooperation agreement signed by ANAS, MiBAC, MIT and the National Agency of State Property sets out the guidelines to develop projects aimed to modernise roadman’s houses for tourism and cultural purposes, and in its pilot phase thirty houses will be redeveloped. In Italy, there are 1244 roadman’s houses, half of which can be employed for new activities and another 10% has a high tourism potential.
The project was developed along a ridge that connects the north-west to the south-east of Italy and passes through the highest part of Lombardy, the via Francigena and the Appian Way. While on one hand Lombardy will work towards sports and wellness, the via Francigena will use central Italy’s culinary tradition.
Roadman’s houses, the project, in short
The three targeted things to create business opportunities and job opportunities for the young are tourism and culture, craftsmanship, local wine and food. The best projects will be chosen and ANAS will commit itself to renovate the houses that need restoration works. Every single roadman’s house will offer hospitality and food services with standard costs as well as other specific services varying according to the facility and including bike sharing services and bike repair places.
By 30 June, the people who work for the project will decide if they will develop it further and include cycling paths such as the VenTo cycling lane or Rome GRAB.
Roadman’s houses, why are they called like this and their history
In 1830 the Kingdom of Sardinia established the figure of the road inspector, who had the responsibility of doing maintenance works and controlling a stretch of road of about 3-4 km and had to live in a house along the road he controlled. It took 150 years to substantially change this reality: in 1982 the Regulations of Roadmen was created and it includes the ideas of road maintenance crews and maintenance centres.
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