Obtaining the Via Francigena pilgrim passport – Testimonium.

Credenziali and Testimonium, the Via Francigena’s Pilgrim Passport and Certificate

The Testimonium Peregrinationis ad Limina Petri

Testimonium is the name given to the certificate you can receive when you complete your pilgrimage to Rome along the Via Francigena. The Via Francigena equivalent of the Compostela was awarded to those walking the Camino de Santiago.

To request your Testimonium, remember to take your ‘credenziali‘ or pilgrim passport and stamp it along the way.

How to get the Testimonium, Via Francigena Pilgrim Certificate

If you do the Via Francigena for Religious reasons:

You can get the Testimonium at Saint Peter’s Basilica. Here’s how:

Head to the reception desk at the Basilica and present your pilgrim credential to the staff there. To find the reception area for pilgrims, look for a special path known as the “Prayer Route” or “Percorso Preghiera.” This is marked by yellow signs and is located on the right side of the Basilica.

Once you pass the security checks carried out by the Italian Police, follow the yellow signs to reach the reception area. This will be situated within the Basilica’s cloakroom, just beyond the stained glass window.

In addition to picking up your Testimonium at the reception, you can also complete a survey about your pilgrimage journey for data collection. Other amenities include luggage storage, restroom facilities, and entry to Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Sacred Vatican Grottoes. These are open from 9:00 a.m. until 5:45 p.m.

The reception desk is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. If there’s a Papal Audience in the Square on a Wednesday, the timings are from 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Moreover, there’s a daily Pilgrim’s Mass at the Altar of the Cathedra at 6:00 p.m.

For further details or to make reservations, you can get in touch with the relevant office through the following means:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: +39 06 6982 (At switchboard request ext 82137)
• Mobile: +39 366 5775511

I hope this clarifies how to get the Testimonium at Saint Peter’s Basilica. Safe travels on your journey!

Alternatively…

You can also request the Testimonium from the San Lorenzo Pilgrims Office Ad Limina Petri (Via Pfeiffer 24) in Rome. The centre is open Monday to Friday from 11 am to 5 pm (Summer time only).

If you do it for Cultural and Religious reasons

You can request your Testimonium certificate from Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi if you walk to Rome for religious or cultural reasons.

Present your credential at the office of Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (Piazza Pio XII, 9) in Saint Peter’s Square (Open Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm).

In any case, your stamped Via Francigena pilgrim passport or ‘credential’ (as with the Camino de Santiago) will be the proof that you have walked the distance required to apply for the Via Francigena Testimonium and must be stamped from the beginning point of your journey to Rome and all along the way.

*Sources: Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, Association Internationale Via Francigena, PilgrimstoRome.org.uk, VieFrancigene.org

What should I do to get the Testimonium?

First, you must obtain a Via Francigena Pilgrim Credential or Credenziali (see below) and stamp it once a day along the route. You can get stamps from Churches, bars, restaurants and hotels… Any proof that you walked or cycled past the villages along the way will suffice.

Then, you must walk the Via Francigena final 100 km to Rome or cycle the last 200 km of the Via Francigena to Rome.

Finally, your pilgrim credential will qualify you to obtain the Testimonium, which officially recognises your pilgrimage.

What is the Credenziali?

The Credenziali, also known as the “pilgrim passport,” is an essential document for travellers on the Via Francigena. This passport gets stamped at various locations you visit, like tourist offices, churches, lodgings, and eateries.

But this document isn’t just a sentimental keepsake. Issued by the European Association of the Via Francigena (EAVF), the Credential offers multiple perks for pilgrims:

1. You’ll find special discounts at numerous restaurants, bars and lodgings along the path.
2. Exclusive travel discounts with certain transportation providers partnering with the EAVF. For instance, you can get a 10% discount on regional train tickets with Trenitalia and Trenord for specific routes. If you prefer taking the bus, a 10% discount is available across the FlixBus network, and you can even bring your bike along.

Purchasing a Credential also helps support the groups who maintain the Via Francigena:

• It funds the upkeep and signage of the route and rest stops for pilgrims.
• It helps create and distribute maps and informational material for the route.
• It maintains a free App available for iPhone and Android, which offers GPS guidance for the entire Via Francigena route, from Canterbury in England to Rome in Italy and the ports of Puglia. The app is even accessible without an internet connection.
• It allows for regular updates to the database of accommodations along the route.
• It helps maintain the official communication channels of the Via Francigena.
• Lastly, your purchase supports the efforts to gain UNESCO recognition for the Via Francigena as an international cultural route.

So, as you see, the Credential is not only a record of your journey but also a way to make your trip smoother while supporting the trail and its community

Where to get your Via Francigena Pilgrim Passport?

Get from the UK

Beaney House of Art and Knowledge of Canterbury, Visitor Information desk, 18 High Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2RA. Ph. 01227 862 162, [email protected]

In Italy, Get the Pilgrim Passport

SIENA

– Bookshop di Santa Maria della Scala, entry Palazzo Squarcialupi, piazza Duomo 1, 53100 Siena. Tel. +039 0577 283586. Opened from Monday to Sunday 10:30-18:30
– Libreria catechistica, Via dei Fusari 46, 53100 Siena. Tel. +39 0577 289171, [email protected]. Opened from Monday to Thursday 9:00-13:00 e 15:30-19:30, sab 9:00-13:00

LUCCA

• Via Francigena Entry Point, via dei Bacchettoni 8, 55100 Lucca. Tel. +39 334 1046719, [email protected]. Apertura: gio-dom 10:30-13:00 e 15-18:00 (estivo)
• Ufficio Turistico del Comune, Vecchia Porta San Donato, piazzale Verdi, 55100 Lucca, tel. +39 0583 583150, [email protected]. Apertura: aprile-ottobre 9:30 – 18:30; novembre-marzo 9:30-16:30
• Tourist Center Lucca, piazzale Ricasoli 203, 55100 Lucca. Tel. +39 0583 494401, cel. +39 338 8213952, [email protected]. Apertura: 9:30-19:00
• Museo della Cattedrale di Lucca, piazza Antelminelli 5, 55100 Lucca. Tel.+39 0583 490530, [email protected]. Apertura: lun-dom 10-18:00 estate; lun-ven 10-14:00 e sab-dom 10-18:00 inverno

SAN MINIATO

• Fondazione San Miniato Promozione, Piazza del Popolo 1, 56028 San Miniato (PI), tel. +39 0571 42745, [email protected]. Apertura: lun 9:00-13:00; mar-dom 9:00-17:00
• Associazione Turistica Pro Loco di San Miniato, p.za del Popolo 31, 56028 San Miniato (PI). Tel. +39 0571 42233, [email protected]. Apertura: lun-ven 9:00-12:00 e 14:30-17:30; sabato e domenica in base alla disponibilità dei volontari

VITERBO

• Ufficio Turistico di Viterbo, piazza Martiri d’Ungheria, 01100 Viterbo. Tel. +39 0761 226427, [email protected]. Apertura: apr-ott: mar-dom 10-13:00 e 15-19:30; nov-mar: mar-dom 10-13:00 e 15-19:00
• Bistrot del Teatro, via Cavour 9, 01100 Viterbo. Cell. +39 392 3018173, [email protected]. Apertura: mar-ven 12-20:00; sab-dom 14-20:00

Read here to learn more about Camino Pilgrim Passports & Certificates.

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