The “Longobard Ways across Europe” Cultural Route offers “navigators” a diverse range of travel opportunities, both virtual and physical. The common thread linking sites and natural landscapes across eight European countries is the route of the historic migration of the Longobard people: a “journey” spanning over 3,000 kilometers—from the North Sea to Central-Eastern Europe and down to the Mediterranean shores of Southern Italy—undertaken over the course of 1,200 years. Geographically and conceptually, the Route takes the form of a “geo-cultural corridor” connecting the West and East of the European continent; its paramount importance lies in highlighting the crucial transition from Late Antiquity to the High Middle Ages. It was a pivotal historical period in which Europe—until then merely a geographical term—first acquired significance as a “living” entity, defined by the peoples who inhabited it. Finally, it was a period in which the unique cultural synthesis forged by the Longobards gave shape to the “foundational root of European culture, later developed by the Carolingians.” From an organizational standpoint, the Itinerary is divided into four macro-areas, each characterized by a specific phase of Longobard history.
Itineraries and Pilgrimage Routes: Distinctions and Synergies – The Longobard Route is distinguished by its historical precedence over other itineraries and pilgrimage routes crossing Europe; like the Longobard Route, these others also trace—along certain stretches—both ancient paths (such as the Amber Road, the Iron and Salt Roads, and pastoral transhumance trails) and the main arteries of the Roman road network. The true distinction between the various routes lies in their travel objectives: discovering the places inhabited by the Longobards and their historical legacy is one thing, while traversing routes of faith or those associated with other civilizations is quite another. Ultimately, it is the specific goals of the visit that set them apart.