New Safer route into Rome and the link between Santiago, Roma and Jerusalem

From the VF Yahoo Forum:

One of the most important issues of via Francigena was the access that the pedestrian route to Rome: in fact the pilgrims were forced to walk for about 800 m on a busy stretch of via Trionfale without sidewalks.
Thanks to teamwork Association Gruppo dei Dodici, Roma Natura, the twentieth Municipality of Rome and the Lazio Region Department of Culture, it seems that finally it is coming to a very interesting solution, which will cross the Ring Highway on via Cassia, and will cross the beautiful green area of Insugherata before joining current path in the area of Monte Mario.
The route has already been changed even in the area of Monte Mario, and the latest version through the green area offering wonderful views of Rome, before coming to the classic viewpoint of Mount Joy, from where to admire the dome St. Peter's.
For route details of Insugherata you should read this article:
http://www.vignaclarablog.it/2012022018043/progetto-via-francigena-insugherata/
Now you can already walk on the new route, but during the weekend they close a gate, so please avoid saturday and sunday.
We are working on the maps, that will be published soon on www.camminafrancigena.it
Santiago, Rome and Jerusalem.
I started to publish on our website a series of articles, both in Italian and in (my:-) English, with useful information about walks between Santiago, Rome and Jerusalem.
The first three articles will talk about the connection between Via Francigena and Camino de Santiago, on Via Aurelia and Via Domitia to Arles, and then on Via Tolosana to Somport.
Who can give me additional information and links about the a/m routes is welcome.
You can read the first article, about the great Peter Robbins website:
http://www.movimentolento.it/en/resource/blog/AlbertoConte/walking-pilgrim-la-mappa-interattiva-dei-grandi-ca/

A new article will be published every week.
Ultreya!
Alberto Conte
www.camminafrancigena.it
www.movimentolento.it

And, from Peter Robins:
I have just this week added detailed mapping for the Monginevro-Arles GR653D to my site. http://maps.peterrobins.co.uk/f/overview/montgenevre.html Parts of the route are now printed on the IGN maps, and the whole route has been checked by someone who walked it in 2009, so should be reasonably accurate.

Via Francigena 'live' blogs and websites

This is a great blog and I just loved her latest post: 

Part Trois – If it’s Monday, it’s closed
http://tapascoe.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/part-trois-if-its-monday-its-closed/

Oz Pilgrim

http://stepstorome.blogspot.com/2010/07/polish-ballroom-dancer.html

Cathy’s blog
http://www.ballofdirt.com/entries/22361/296339.html

girolamo777
http://jeromesitaly.blogspot.com/2010/07/la-via-francigena-or-robbers-and.html

New Book
http://littlegreentracs.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/07/index.html

Confraternity of Pilgrims to Jerusalem
http://sites.google.com/site/pilgrimstojerusalem/Home

Paris and Lyon to Jerusalem

PILGRIM OF EAST
Walking to Jerusalem
François-Xavier de Villemagne
Editions Transboréale
368 pages. 2003

6400 kilometers between Paris and Jerusalem from May to December 2000. This is the story of a journey through Eastern Europe, a path strewn with meetings, travel through time and space, an expedition on foot to Jerusalem . http://www.villemagne.net/

..........................................................................................................................

LYON - JERUSALEM A PIED !
Un pèlerin raconte...
José ROMAN
Edité à compte d'auteur
2ème édition - 128 pages.

Disponible chez l'auteur :
José ROMAN - 5, rue des Bleuets - FR-69720 SAINT-LAURENT-DE-MURE

Aventure de 6 mois de marche de Lyon à Jérusalem d'un pèlerin en compagnie de son chien.

PILGRIMS FROM NON EU COUNTRIES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WALK THE ENTIRE VF

Since 1987, the Cultural-Routes of Europe committees have worked tirelessly to establish and extend pilgrimage trails in Europe. Some are between 1900km (Canterbury to Rome) or even 5000km (Jerusalem).
When Switzerland joins the Schengen zone on 5th December, pilgrims from the Non-EU countries will no longer have sufficient time to walk these routes. 90 days is not ehough time for anyone to walk nearly 2000km. It was sufficient when one spent 10 days walking in Switzerland, but from 5th December this will change.
Although more and more countries have joined the Schengen zone - and further expansions are planned - the time allowed to visitors has not been increased.
The EU and the Schengen zone countries should consider extending the period allowed for people to walk across Europe along the old pilgrimage trails that are so painstakingly being re-annimated.
There are a number of pilgrimage routes that non-EU pilgrims will be able to walk

• VF from Canterbury to Rome ± 1900km
• Via Turonensis, Paris to Santiago ± 1800km
• Via Lemovensis from Vezelay to Santiago ± 1750km