The Italian Cultural Institute is organising another public lecture from the Magic Box series conducted by Anna Porcheddu.

This month’s lecture will be delivered by Alessandro Costa and will be about Via Francigena, known as “the road that comes from France”.

Via Francigena is in fact the common name of an ancient road and pilgrim route running from France to Rome, though it is usually considered to have its starting point much further away, in the English cathedral city of Canterbury.

Some pilgrims continued to the harbours of Apulia, from where they could further travel to the Holy Land by sea.

In medieval times, Via Francigena was an important road for pilgrims heading south to Rome, and like Camino de Santiago, this trail is a European Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

The man most famous for putting Via Francigena on the map was Archbishop Sigeric of Canterbury.

Upon his return from Rome, where he had gone to receive the pallium to his diocese in AD990, he recorded the names of places he had gone through during his journey.

Costa is an engineer, who was born in the Dolomites area and who has a passion for these beautiful mountains and a strong interest in walking and hiking. He will tell those present about the Via Francigena that he completed in 2016, the Jubilee Year of Mercy and Family.

The evening will continue over a glass of wine and some treats.

This event is being held tomorrow at 6.30pm at the Italian Cultural Institute, Valletta. Everybody is welcome and entrance is free.