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Scuola di
Economia e Management
Corso di Laurea Magistrale in
Design of Sustainable tourism systems
“The Road of Dante”:
cultural identity, experiential
travel, and rural
development
Relatore
Prof. Benedetto Rocchi
Candidato
Costanza Nesti
Anno Accademico 2019/2020
“Camminare rende liberi fisicamente
e mentalmente più vicini al cielo”
Nonno Carlo
1
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which
has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute
of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. Translation,
adaptation in whole or in part, reproduction using any means (including media, microfilm and
photocopy formats) and electronic storage are reserved in all countries.
2
Index
Introduction
1. “The road of Dante” 6
1.1. The birth of “The road of Dante” 6
1.2. The stops of the itinerary 10
1.3. Old and new pilgrimage 13
2. Three territories with different identities 14
2.1. Parco del Delta del Po emiliano- romagnolo 14
2.2. Ravenna and Fiumi Uniti 16
2.3. Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola 18
2.4. Brisighella 20
2.5. Parco Nazionale delle Foreste del Casentino 22
2.6. San Benedetto in Alpe 25
3. Experiential travel 26
3.1 The meaning of experiential travel 26
3.2 “The road of Dante” as experiential travel 30
4. The case study: the influence of “The road of Dante” on the
territories’ activities 35
4.1 Coronavirus outbreak impact on Italian tourism 36
4.2 Methodology 37
4.3 Results 38
4.4 Final considerations 52
Conclusions 56
References 59
Ringraziamenti 68
3
Abstract
The concept of tourism has really changed and evolved in the last years, and nowadays it
is more common to talk about experiential travel. Pilgrimages are associated to this new
type of tourism, based on sustainability, the revalorisation of unknow territories and
activities deeply in contact with local inhabitants and their traditions. The overall purpose
of this thesis is to analyse the current impact of “The Road of Dante” - path developed in
the last few years with the aim of celebrating Dante on his death anniversary - on the
crossed territories, taking into consideration the fact that it is a young path, and that world
has been facing a pandemic since 2020. The results are reached through interviews to
hosting activities’ owners and local administrators.
Keywords
Experiential travel, pilgrimages, territories, Dante, path
4
Introduction
Recently the concept of tourism has changed and will continue to change a lot. It remains
the idea of “escaping from the daily routine” but nowadays it is not focused only on
relaxation, entertainment and carefree, but also authentic experiences such as walking on
ancient trails, tasting of local products, discovering new cultures or cooking classes. The
experiential travel is a type of tourism based on emotions, something able to involve
emotionally, physically, and mentally the customer. In fact, it is not important the
destination, but the fact of living something memorable and immersive deeply in contact
with the visited territory. Experiential travel is characterised by activities, enabling the
tourist to interact with local inhabitants, their histories, and traditions, with the desire of
living unique experiences to share and recount others. There has been a cultural evolution
related to touristic consumption, shifting from a tourist package where tourists have a
passive role, to a different one where costumers become the principal actors of their offer.
The main concept is personalisation, allowing customers to create their own experiences
based on their needs and tastes, totally different from the concept of mass tourism where
the offered solutions are generalised and standardized. Since most of the activities related
to experiential travel are sustainable and respect the environment, this new type of
tourism is also a way to rediscover and valorise unknown territories, with the desire of
attract tourists in marginal places and let them start an inner tourism economy. Italy has
always been famous for its beautiful scenery, food, and artistic work, and nowadays
people rediscover the pleasure of visiting these territories while walking on ancient paths
or trails. Pilgrimage became one of the most suggestive way to live an authentic
experience, considering that it crosses small villages and towns rich of Italian history and
traditions. Walking on a route gives people the possibility not only to observe and
appreciate carefully the surrounding, but also to meet other travellers and share each other
cultures and past experiences. In fact as also an old member of CAI ( Club Alpino Italiano)
says “ discovering Italy while walking is the best way to thank it for its beauty”(Erri De
Luca). In addition, meeting local inhabitants enriches the walkers, leaving them something
unforgettable and memorable. Following the model of experiential travel, “The Road of
Dante” is an artistic, cultural, and natural itinerary, which follows the footsteps of the poet
Dante Alighieri across Tuscany and Emilia Romagna after his exile. It is a mixture of
5
nature, art, history, and literature. During the path, wayfarers jump temporarily in the
past, covering ancient paths and visiting medieval villages, where Dante really passed or
slept. It is a young route, not so famous yet but with a great potentiality. This work aims
at analysing the impact that for now “The road of Dante” have had on the crossed
territories, on hosting activities and on the inner tourism of small villages. Through
interviews to owners of dormitories or hostels and local administrators it has been possible
to understand to what extent the route influences and maybe will influence the places in
the future. Considering that the 2021 it is the year of anniversary of Dante’s death, and the
path was included as the only Italian destination for the 2021 Best Travel by the famous
guide Lonely Planet, the itinerary will surely become really covered after the pandemic.
The first chapter of the dissertation is about the birth of “The road of Dante”, with the
descriptions of all the stops and a comparison between old type of pilgrimages, only based
on religious aim and new ones, driven by different reasons. The second chapter deals with
the examination of the three most different territories crossed by the path, Parco del Delta
del Po Emiliano- Romagnolo, Parco della Vena del Gesso Romagnola and Parco delle
Foreste Casentinesi, with the explanation of their most important characteristics and the
specific part that touches the trail. Later, the work focuses on the meaning of experiential
travel, and the reason why “The road of Dante” can be described as a real experience,
including the evidence of some trekkers that conclude all the itinerary. The last chapter is
about the direct analysis, with the explanation of the methodology, the interviews, and the
final consideration. This thesis has been written during a hard period for tourism and
travels, but it can be a good starting point for the rebirth of a new type of tourism, based
on sustainability, emotions and authenticity.
6
1. The road of Dante
1.1 The birth of “The road of Dante”
“Midway upon the journey of our life,
I found myself within a forest dark,
for the straightforward pathway had been lost.”
Dante Alighieri
Figura 1.1. Route’s map ( Source: https://www.camminodante.com/)
“The road of Dante” is the first itinerary organised through the paths and the medieval
ways crossed by the poet Dante Alighieri after his exile from Florence, his birthplace, to
reach Ravenna, where he died and where his tomb is. The route follows exactly the
footsteps of Dante, during the years when wrote his most famous work Divina Commedia,
one of the first poems written using the vernacular language, divided in Canti which depict
Hell, Purgatory and Paradise in an unconventional way. The path was born from an idea
developed in 2011 by his founder and pioneer Giordano Bezzi together with a
heterogeneous group of people passionate about the poet, such as Oliviero Resta, who
became the reference point for the walkers during the route. The itinerary is the result of
studies and field explorations, supported by the work of historians and scholars, especially
7Pietro Barberini, journalist and expert of the history of Ravenna and Romagna, and the
writer and historian Osiride Guerrini. The research started in 2011 from the Centro
Dantesco dei Frati minori Conventuali di Ravenna, a library which gathers the “codici,
incunaboli, edizioni a stampa delle opere di Dante e su Dante” (Centro Dantesco, 2020), in
order to collect all the information about the life and the passages of Dante during his
exile. Over the same period, they began both the analysis of the road network related to
the Early and Late Middle Age and the exploration of the Apennines mountains between
Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, with field research and excursions. In 2012 the first stops
were decided and tested, some routes were excluded from the itinerary, while others were
included and carefully studied in Summer and Autumn, also identifying parish churches
or castles as reference points for the walkers. After one year, the examination of the
territory was expanded from Romagna towards Tuscany, exploring Sieve’s valley and
Casentino’s area, including CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) paths and following old medieval
roads and bridges. Firstly, there were some problems of communications and
misunderstandings with the cities touched by Dante’s roads. Later it started a
collaboration with the aim of presenting and promoting the future itinerary. The 2014 was
the year of the birth of the Association Il Cammino di Dante, a no- profit organization
founded by enthusiast members and volunteers, and there was the revision of the
examined territory, signing dangerous sections or complicated passages. When the
different stops were defined and the final route was almost finished, the association began
creating posters with different parts of the Divina Commedia. After a constant and daily
effort of the association across 20 stops and 395 km, the installation of all the thematic
panels, the GPS tracking, and the delineation of agreements with hostels and eateries, in
2015 the itinerary was finally consolidated and presented on occasion of special
conferences dedicated to the poet. With the aim of supporting the Association, people need
to pay an inscription to walk on the itinerary, getting some useful materials, such as the
map, the pilgrim’s credentials, and the list of all the hostels and rest stops affiliated with
the organization. The walkers inaugurated “The road of Dante” in 2016. At the beginning
the itinerary was followed only by acquaintances of the association’s members, and this
was also a useful way to get a feedback of the path’s state in order to improve and maintain
its conditions. From 2017, “The road of Dante”, reaching almost 100 walkers every year,
was covered not only by wayfarers with a great passion for Dante and who could repeat
8by heart the Divina Commedia but also by the ones who wanted to enjoy little-known
landscapes and forgotten places. While new panels related to the Divina Commedia were
fixed, the association intensified the collaboration with local agencies in charge of hosting
pilgrims to present a wider offer and attract more people. In 2019 the itinerary was
followed by about 500 pilgrims, who, according to their preference, decided to cover all
the length of the route or only a part. The effort of the Association is; not only to contribute
maintaining feasible the path for pilgrims, but also to spread the culture of Dante all
around the world, especially in the youth and in new generations. For this reason, a lot of
schools collaborate with the members to organise cultural events and small trips through
the itinerary of Dante, to sensitise young people in valorising local culture and to involve
them in developing and supporting new tourist projects. For the anniversary of Dante’s
death, many initiatives were planned, such as “Le 7 meraviglie di Dante”, an original walk
across the paths with theatrical actors, “SicCome Dante”, a collaboration with the schools
of Brescia or “Borghi Danteschi”, lectures, exhibitions, or concerts in the medieval places
of the Apennines. A lot of tour guides help the Association in spreading all around Italy
the culture of Dante and in reviving the unknown localities where he lived or just passed.
Especially Riccardo Starnotti, a guide who lived in Casentino, fell so in love with the poet
that decided to wear his custom in every tour. In 2015 he also created “The roads of Dante
in Casentino”, an itinerary of 14 stops from Florence to Poppi, following the footsteps of
the poet across the Casentino’s valley.
91.2 The stops of the itinerary
Figura 1.2 Following the red sign CD( Cammino di Dante)
“The road of Dante” is a circular route from Ravenna to Florence across the Apennines
and from Florence to the Ravenna coming back along the Casentino’s Valley. The itinerary
is articulated between Emilia- Romagna and Tuscany, through medieval villages, woods,
and parish churches, with a total of around 400 km and 20 stops to cover counter-
clockwise. It starts from Ravenna, exactly from the burial monument of the poet in the
church of San Francesco. Leaving the city centre and following the bank of the river
Montone, wayfarers can reach the bridge of the second stop: Passo Vico. Then, across the
famous Via Emilia, a roman way built to connect Piacenza to Rimini more than 2000 years
ago, pilgrims can reach the third stop: Oriolo dei Fichi, a rural village dominated by a
military tower to check enemy’s approach. The tower can be visited and from the top it is
possible to enjoy a special view ranging over fields, farmsteads, and vineyards, including
the crops of an old grapes, cultivated only in the surrounding of the village, which produce
the Centesimino wine. Through the Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola,
known for the karst systems, the walkers can find the fourth stop: Brisighella. It is
considered one of the most beautiful rural villages of Italy, certified also by the Orange
10Flag from the Touring Club. The village is surrounded by 3 chalky hills on which there is
the Rocca Manfrediana, a medieval fortification built at the beginning of the 14 centuries,
The Clock Tower and the Church of Monticino, where is venerated an old holy terracotta
image. Another suggestive architecture in Brisighella is la Via degli Asini, an old, elevated
street used for the transport of chalk on donkeys, now incorporated into adjacent
buildings. The route continues towards the successive stop, the small medieval town of
Gamberaldi and its abandoned church. Then going through the regional border, the path
enters in Tuscany reaching the next stop: Marradi, a village framed by the Apennines,
where the noble palaces and the uncontaminated atmosphere receive the travellers.
Passing the following stop, L’ Eremo dei Toschi, a local company who also hosts pilgrims,
the route returns to Emilia- Romagna, to reach one of the hardest stops: the mountain
village of San Benedetto in Alpe, in the heart of the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste
Casentinesi. The waterfall of Acquacheta, created by the river Montone, which falls 70
metres on a sandstone face, is one highlight of the itinerary. In the Divina Commedia it
was compared by Dante to the Flegetonte, a blood river where thieves and murders had
to spend their time. Next stop is the abbey of San Godenzo, where in 1302 took place a
meeting between the White Guelfs of Dante and Ghibellines exiled from Florence. After
moving across a dirt road, and climbing along the ridge of Monte Campaccio, pilgrims
begin walking downhill to reach the subsequent stop: the Etruscan area of Dicomano.
Following the bank of the river Sieve, “The road of Dante” meets Pontassieve, last stop
before Firenze, the birthplace of Dante where the Museo Casa di Dante is located, must-
see for walkers. The way back overcomes the Arno river near Rignano, and enters the
Casentino’s valley, dominated by the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste del Casentino.
11Figura 1.3 Walking towards Pieve Pitiana
The park connects Toscana to Romagna and is covered by centuries-old beeches and fir
trees. After crossing the woods, it crosses cobbled streets until Pieve Pitiana, a
Romanesque parish church. It climbs between olive fields, it overpasses the fir woods of
Vallombrosa and moves on across cobblestones to reach the small village of Prato di
Strada. Poppi is a deviation that is worth doing, in order to explore the wallet city and the
Castle of Conti Guidi. Continuing across the Casentino’s wood, the successive stop is
Fiumicello near Premilcuore, a very small village, frozen in time and connected to other
cities by windy streets. Located near the village wayfarers find the Grotta Urlante, a
waterfall dropping in a mirror of water surrounded by rocks, with the name recalling the
noise produced by the water falling on stones, like an infernal scream. After 8 km the route
encounters an old mill and the Ponte della Maestà, a one-arch medieval bridge with the
original paving, until Portico di Romagna, a small town enclosed with mountains, woods,
and waterfalls. The following stop is Dovadola, the oldest village of the itinerary, next to
the Eremo di Montepaolo, where Sant’Antonio from Padova lived for some years. Leaving
the Apennines, “The road of Dante” proceeds downhill, across the thermal city of
Castrocaro and his fortification, to reach Forlì, a city located along the Via Emilia.
12Following the bank of the river Montone towards the Parco Fluviale of Ravenna, it passes
across the bridge Passo Vico and finally arrives back to Ravenna.
Figura 1.4 Funeral monument of Dante in Ravenna (Source: https://www.camminodante.com/)
1.3 Old and new pilgrimage
The contemporary phenomenon of walking along famous routes, such as “The road of
Dante” or Via Francigena, dates back to the religious pilgrimage of the medieval period.
It was an intentional journey where the pilgrim, usually alone, walked toward a church
or a sanctuary to feel his God closer, or to reach the salvation of the spirit and the
purification. Since the nature and the vegetation of the medieval period were not already
acclimated by man, the journey was harder and more difficult, so it was rare for a walker
to come back safe or alive. Still today, the act of walking is a challenge against each one’s
own limits, in order to find himself through meditation, which is always present during
a pilgrimage, especially when travelling alone. Nowadays, the motivations for
departing are in part different, since pilgrims are not only driven by religion but also by
the simple curiosity of discovering new places and territories, different cultures and
traditions and sometimes also testing their physical abilities. It is said that the act of
walking has a healing power, with the capacity of disconnecting temporarily the walkers
13from their daily routine and regular concerns, in order to enjoy the landscapes and reach
the destination. In modern times, many studies outline that the religious pilgrimage no
longer exists, but there is only the secular one (Collins- Kreiner ,2010). Generally, travels
have undergone significant changes, which contribute to evolve the paradigm of
pilgrimages and religious tourism, since now people search for a new physical and
psychological wellness and authentic touristic experiences, which focus on the spiritual
and cultural dimension of the journey. For these different interests and points of view,
tourism and pilgrimage converged and create new touristic offers, which adopt external
form of pilgrimages, losing at the same time the religious experiences and the holy idea
(De Salvo, 2016). In this new approach the pilgrim and the tourist are closer, and during
the experience the individual looks for a different spirituality which, without being
religious, helps the wayfarer to find him\herself (Eberhart, 2005). Today walking is an
alternative way of travelling, based on slowness, the opposite of the hectic everyday life
and mass tourism. Travelling on foot provides the time required to understand, observe,
and get in contact with nature and local inhabitants (Canestrini, 2001). Slow Tourism is
a philosophy of life also related to tourism, which promotes the quality of the
experience, the focus on local products and typical characteristics of places, taking care
about sustainability. Especially during the 2021 year, due to the pandemic, a tourism of
proximity is to be preferred, such as the outdoor, rural and Eno gastronomic ones, to
relaunch small village, unknown places and forgotten territories. For all these reasons,
“The road of Dante” was included in the Best in Travel 2021 of the Lonely Planet Guide,
rewarded as the only Italian stage in the sustainability section. It is a way to rediscover
the beautiful territory of two regions, Tuscany, and Emilia Romagna, valorising the
figure of the poet considered “the father of the Italian language” where the wayfarers
embark not only in a cultural and natural itinerary but also in a literature one. The route
stops in several places directly mentioned in the Divina Commedia or experienced during
Dante’s road, such as medieval castles, Romanesque churches, forgotten woods or
waterfalls. It passes through steep or gentle climbs, reflecting the opposite feelings of
each man that crosses this authentic path, physically demanding and emotionally rich.
142. Three territories with different identities
The road of Dante is a heterogeneous itinerary that crosses a great variety of territories,
such as riverbanks, hills, mountains, woods and valleys. Each area has its own rural
characteristics, economy, specific features, and way of interacting with the route.
Especially, there are three zones with distinctive identities: Parco del Delta del Po
Emiliano- Romagnolo, Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola and Parco
Nazionale delle Foreste del Casentino.
2.1 Parco del Delta del Po Emiliano- Romagnolo
Figura 2.1 Parco Delta del Po (Source: https://www.travelemiliaromagna.it/autunno-slow-delta-del-
po/)
“Enter the Po Delta Park on tiptoe, open your eyes, open your ears, and clear the nostrils.
If you have forgotten, you will learn again to go slowly, to observe, to listen, to smell.
Get closer with respect to the world of nature and you will be respected. Amazement,
wonder, curiosity will be your travelling companions in the woods and pine forests,
along rivers and canals, and in the lagoons between cultivated fi elds, until you reach the
sea, where it rests on the sand dunes and slips into the flooded meadows.” (Massimo
Medri, 2013)
15Parco del Delta del Po Emiliano-Romagnolo has unique environmental and ecological
characteristics. It extends on a surface of more than 52.000 hectares, not only
environmentally rich but also economically developed, since it has been a cultural and
economic crossroad between the East and the West from the past. The park was
instituted in 1988 and its fundamental element is water. Delta del Po is the set of the
fluvial branches which allow the river Po, born from the Monviso, to flow through all
the Pianura Padana and emerge into the Adriatic Sea. The habitat of the park is made of
natural environments and ecosystems attesting the remarkable richness and biological
variety of the territory; they can be classified into six macro categories: coastal lagoons
and halophytic vegetation, dune’s systems, freshwater habitats, prairies, peatlands, and
woods. Due to the different types of territories of the park, the flora is characterized by
a great diversity of species, like Salicornia radicans and halophytes in coastal lagoons,
common oaks or holm oaks in woods, sea buckthorns in dune’s systems, calcareous fens
with sedges in prairies and wheatgrass in peatlands and freshwater areas. All these
zones are inhabited by different faunistic communities, marked by a unique variety,
from invertebrate species to mammals, becoming one of the greater values of the park.
The park was recognized as “Riserva di Biosfera” in the programme “Man and
Biosphere” UNESCO, a scientific programme with the aim of promoting a balanced
relationship between men and environment through the protection of biodiversity and
the development of sustainable tourism. Over the years, man added his work, such as
many water drainages plumbing and reclamation, some of them finished recently. All
these measures made the Delta del Po a very anthropized territory, with production
plants, road networks and a population, living mainly in big cities as Ravenna and
Ferrara, of forty thousand residents. Since the human intervention can be found more
in the upstream part than in the downstream one, the small urban settlements are
present more in that anthropized area than in the wild one. The main productive
activities, thanks to the old drainages and wetlands, are agriculture, mainly cereals corn
and rise, and fishing. Fish farming, raising and reproduction of fish usually for food,
and acquaculture, the rearing of aquatic organisms, are some of the other businesses.
There are different salt pans for salt production, a very profitable good for the park. The
Salina of Cervia uses an artificial way of harvesting, while the old Salina Camillone,
integral part of the Salt Museum, remains the last original one where salt is harvested
16by hand to preserve the labour of saltworkers. Regarding tourism, Parco del Delta del
Po emiliano-romagnolo was recently appreciated again as a slow destination, for its
extraordinary landscapes, enabling people to enjoy experiences totally in contact with
nature and based on authenticity. Above all, it is one of the most famous places for
birdwatching thanks to the numerous species of water birds, finding a perfect habitat
where eating, seeking refuge, and building a nest. Especially during the migratory
routes, from July to October and from February to April, it can become a paradise for
naturalists, photographers and biologists who can join exclusive experiences such as
boat ride at sunrise or sunset with an environmental guide, who can provide all the
required information. The park is also known for the cycle tourism, since there are many
unique routes along river’s bank and woods both for adults and children to discover the
hidden beauties of the heterogeneous area. Besides bikes, there are different ways to
cross the park: people can book motor vessels to move closer to the typical wildlife,
excursions on horseback or make a trip with an electric minibus to respect the
environment. This area is full of different types of museums, artistic, ecologic or
historical ones, and Centri Visita, centre where tourists can experience didactive and
recreational initiatives to study not only the naturalistic characteristics of the territory
but also its authentic history.
2.2 Ravenna and Fiumi Uniti
Ravenna is the starting point of “The road of Dante”, which begins exactly from the
funeral monument of Dante located in the church of San Francesco in the historic centre.
The city has always been characterized by the water element that created seas, swamps,
and rivers. Originally Ravenna stood on islets directly in contact with the sea, which,
after moving away from the inhabited area, caused a landfill of the city. This outcome is
due to the presence of several rivers which flow into the surrounding of Ravenna, and
during seasonal floods carry soil and debris from the Apennines towards the sea. The
three most important rivers for the history of the city are: Lamone, Ronco and Montone.
In particular, Ronco and Montone are interesting for our itinerary, since in the first part
the walkers follow the bank of these rivers. During the thirteenth century the courses of
the two rivers surrounded the wall of Ravenna, respectively the first in the south, and
17the second in the north west, to then gather towards Adriatic Sea. On one hand, both
rivers were important as water supply and as protection of the walls from enemies, but
on the other, Ravenna was usually inundated due to repetitive break of the embankment
system. In order to solve this problem, at the beginning of the eighteen century it was
created a tract of manmade stream bed where was diverted the confluence of Ronco and
Montone about 3 km away from the city, creating Fiumi Uniti, which changed the
hydrographic asset of the ravennate territory. In the same period, it was realized the
Chiusa di San Marco with the aim of regulating the flow of the two rivers and of
diverting the water for the mills of the city. Next to the Chiusa it was created also an
artificial canal towards the Panfilio: the old port channel, where it is possible to see the
convergence of Ronco and Montone. The river system of Fiumi Uniti is strategic to create
an area of fluvial tutelage, in order to develop sustainable tourism allowing the
ravennate population to live it properly. The best course of action is to make enjoyable
a unique environmental patrimony, building a model of integration between man and
nature, to hand down to future generations. So, the project includes not only engineering
measures, but also the recovery of the historic memory, valorisation, fruition,
conservation, and maintenance of the area. The programme, hold by the municipal
administration of Ravenna, is called “Progetto partecipativo Fiumi uniti per tutti”, with
the other aim to create a connection between two zones environmentally important:
Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi and Parco regionale del Delta del Po. The
project is a starting point for promoting and supporting the natural heritage, involving
not only institutional bodies but also all the surrounding population.
182.3 Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola
Figura 2.2 Calanchi ( Source: https://www.camminodante.com/)
The “Parco regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola” preserves and fosters a high-
value area, standing out in the northern Apennines as an incomparable example of
mountain range made up only of chalk. In the Lamone’s valley, the hills are crossed by
a silvery grey ridge 25 km-long, becoming the longest chalky relief in Italy and ensuring
a unique aspect to the landscape. The Vena is composed of one type of chalk, and due
to its glint, totally different from the surrounding rocks, it is known as “moonstone” or
“selenite”. Its rocky formation is called gypsum sulfurous, which is present from
Piedmont to Sicily and can be compared to a big fossil salt-mine deposited after the
Gibraltar closure and the draining of the Mediterranean Sea. There is a superficial and
underground karstification caused by the partial solubility of the rock, originating
sinkholes, blind valleys, and a lot of caves, some of them enormous. The diversity of
Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola compared to the Apennines, enables
to find a distinct morphology with a specific microclimate, flora, and fauna. Although
the usually harsh and irregular habitat, the flora is very varied, from the orchids in
spring and the lilies in June, to the carnations in autumn. The park is inhabited by many
animal species, such as invertebrates and bats in the dark and quiet caves, wild cats and
wolves and different types of birds. In some parts of the area, there are visible signs of
19the past mining activity, especially the mine of the Monte Tondo which is still active
today. Since the chalk represented a fundamental element for the mining activity, the
economy of this territory was strongly linked to this business since Roman times, and
nowadays it is considered an essential feature to define the identity of the local
community. Due to the harness of the territory, the karst phenomena and the frequent
landslides, the water shortage and the poor fertility of the soil, the relationship between
men and environment was complex and variegated. In proto-history caves were used
as shelters, for burials of rich families, or as places of worship and votive offerings.
Thanks to the discovery of rural building, the presence of men has been demonstrated
also in Roman times; later, in medieval period, religious and military settlement
(Brisighella and Tossignano) raised exactly on la Vena del Gesso, thanks to the
development of mining activity and to the processing of chalk as a material for
construction. It was a unique technique: the chalk was cut in blocks, then processed, and
put together with mortar, realised by cooked chalk re-arranged with water as binder.
The chalky territory did not permit a great variety of agriculture, it was only possible to
cultivate chestnut fruits. The only exception are the areas close to the Vena, where the
south-facing rocks generate a particular microclimate, ideal for some specific
Mediterranean crops such as olive or apricot trees, the most common cultures of
northern Apennines. With the improvement of communication and the industrial
growth of the Padana area, peasants of the Apennines moved towards to the valley, with
the aim of looking for better jobs and more convenient houses, creating a rapid and
consistent de-population of mountains. All the traces left by human presence are a great
value and important for the development of tourism. Firstly, the value of the Vena del
Gesso was only quantified in terms of economy and money, to bring profits and
economic prosperity. At a later stage, all the mining sites were closed due to the
mechanization of the quarries, and to the pressure coming from ecological associations
for environmental damages. The old extraction and industrial centres, their machines
and work tools, have then become a very important heritage to be preserved and
respected. The Parco Nazionale della Vena del Gesso provides a great variety of touristic
offers, based on the seasonality and that suit different preferences and targets. Sporty
people can enjoy four circular trails run by the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), partly
accessible by bikes or on horseback, to explore each sector and discover hidden
20sceneries. Near the Centri di Visita, especially Rifugio cà Carnè at Brisighella and “I
Gessi e il Fiume” in Tossignano, people can experience guided tours inside geologic
museums, didactive class on specific subjects or ask all the needed information to
discover the park autonomously. There is also the possibility to visit two caves with
excursionist guides: the cave of Re Tiberio and the cave of Tanaccia, both characterized
by karst systems and suggestive habitats. Since the park protects and promotes a big
area, including inhabited centres with their own products and activities, the Ente di
gestione per i Parchi e la Biodiverità, which managed the territory since 2012, began to
create a brand to promote the quality production on the territory. The aim is to open the
park to the economic world and try to sell products linked to the history of their land.
In this area can be found the extra virgin olive oil of Brisighella, the chestnuts of Castel
del Rio, apricots of Santerno’s valley, moretto artichokes, wines of Romagna, and a lot
of typical cheeses and several types of meat. The idea is to create an image of the park
and launch the products on the market with this specific brand, reflecting the
authenticity and genuineness of the productions, in order to attract also more tourists
interested in local food and goods.
2.4 Brisighella
After walking between plantations, pilgrims begin climbing on the ridge between
vineyards, calanchi and wild vegetation, enjoying one of the most beautiful panoramas
of “The road of Dante” until they reach the fourth stop of the itinerary: the rural and
hospital village of Brisighella in Lamone’s valley, celebrated as a slow travel destination.
Its origin is related to the thirteenth century when the lord Maghinardo built a defence
tower, instead of the current Clock tower, to control the passage from the Ghibelline
Romagna to the Guelf Florence. Brisighella is a hidden gem, rich in traditions, typical
food, artistic and scenic beauties, and it has also been recognized with prestigious
certifications, testifying an excellent quality of life. The territory of the village,
characterized by three surrounding chalky hills, belongs to Parco Regionale della Vena
del Gesso Romagnola, and shows singular landscapes and naturalistic peculiarities,
such as calanchi. Calanchi are a geomorphologic phenomenon, present from Sillaro’s to
Ronco’s valley, with a particular conformation, creating a harsh land, furrowed by small
21narrow valleys with sharp rocky peaks. The structure of these pinnacles is caused by the
friable territory, made of clay and impermeable rocks, and by the erosion of the
atmospheric agent, especially meteoric waters, without a defined course and following
the slopes of the relief. Calanchi were originated when the Padana hollow was covered
by the sea, becoming the Golfo Padano, and as a proof of this phenomenon we can find
some marine fossil species. Thanks to these unique characteristics Brisighella is really
appreciated by both walkers and tourists.
2.5 Parco Nazionale delle Foreste del Casentino
2.3 Following the sign CD (Cammino di Dante) into the Casentino’s forest
Parco Nazionale delle Foreste del Casentino, located in the Apennines between Tuscany
and Romagna, through the city of Forlì, Arezzo, and Florence, was instituted in 1993. It is
one of the most prestigious and old forest areas in Europe, with fascinating woods of
different shades of colours, with a great variety of flora and fauna, and full of inhabited
villages rich of history and artistic heritage. The story of the park started with Etruscan
population and in the medieval period it was used as a crossroad by pilgrims from North
22and East Europe. In the Renaissance period it was controlled by Opera del Duomo di
Firenze, a secular institution (still existing) which used to run the forest using its wood for
the construction of the Dome of Brunelleschi in Florence and the ship shafts of the naval
fleets of Livorno and Pisa. The landscape of Parco Nazionale delle Foreste del Casentino
is marked by sedimentary rocks, and while in the Romagna side it presents steep slopes
covered by a thick forest canopy together with layers of living rock, in the Tuscany part
the scenery is gentle, with woods, pastures, chestnut trees and cultivated fields.
Considering the natural conditions of the park, its territory has been preserved until now
thanks to the monastic settlements of San Romualdo, the foundation of the Eremo di
Camaldoli in 1212, and the presence in the sanctuary La Verna of San Francesco from
Assisi. Both constructions represent an interesting centre, full of spiritual and symbolic
importance. Due to the extension of the forest, the variety of the vegetation and the low
population density, the area stands out also for the faunistic richness. Wolves and hoofed
animals are the most common mammals in the park, the birdlife is full of raptors such as
the honey buzzard and the sparrowhawks, and the feared Vipera the invertebrate species.
The park is covered mostly by centuries-old forest, but the flora is constituted by
herbaceous species, which can be examined and studied in the botanic garden of
Valbonella at Corniolo. It gathers and provides information on the principal local
vegetation environments with more than 400 species. Due to the variety of habitats and
the protective regime, the territory of the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste del Casentino is
divided in 4 areas. Each area, thanks to its varied environmental characteristics, allows
different authorizations for human interventions. The “Zona A di Riserva Integrale”
includes some excellent naturalistic treasures, such as the Riserva Naturale Integrale di
Sassofratino and Riserva di Monte Falco. Here the man’s work is almost absent, in order
to preserve integrally the environment. The “Zona B” allows activities with the aim of
improving its specific ecosystem, but it’s necessary to maintain the characteristics of the
park unaffected. The natural and environmental resources present in the “Zona C”
comprises areas transformed by men, which require an equilibrium between the
settlements and the natural environment. Therefore, it needs not only to be protected but
also to be valorised. The “Zona D” represents the more anthropized area, with inhabited
villages, centres destinated to traditional productive activities and places with historic and
touristic value. The territory of the park was experienced by several communities, as
23evidenced by muleteers, ruins, and parish churches reminiscing of a world, made of
simplicity and sacrifices, that nowadays has totally changed. In the past there were
inhabitants proud of their lands, which, at the end of the twentieth century, have
undergone a big depopulation because of historical and cultural changes, and due to the
urbanization of the Post-War period. Even today there is a low population density, a
higher average age, and little birth-rates. Thanks to the project “I Popoli del Parco”, it is
possible to restore, conserve and valorise the patrimony of knowledge of this
communities, in order to freeze their experiences and lives in books, interviews, photos or
exhibitions. In modern times, the productive activities of the territory took inspiration
from the ones from the past. For example, the woodworking has always been an important
activity for Casentino’s valley, and while before they used to create rural objects and tools
for animals, now the processing of wood has become a real art and it is used for great
quality furniture. The manufacture of flax and wool is a profitable business, and the area
is famous for the “Panno Casentino”, a typical wool manufacturing characterized by a
curly surface finish. Casentino’s zone can boast a variety of chestnuts and mushrooms,
which are sold to the surrounding cities and regions. In the last year, due to the pandemic
and the rediscover of open spaces, the park has experienced a raise in both Italian and
foreigner’s tourists arrives, making the tourist sector a fruitful industry. The best way to
cross the park is on foot, in fact there is an infinite variety of thematic itineraries, from the
simple to the hardest ones, which can be covered also by bikes or on horseback. A lot of
schools collaborate with the park to organise trips for scholars and explain them the
importance of preserving the forest focusing on a more sustainable tourism inside didactic
and informative structures. Moreover, the Parco Nazionale delle Foresta del Casentino has
been individuated by the island of Shikoku (an island in Japan famous for spiritual
pilgrimage itineraries) as an ideal forest for Shinrin- Yoku therapy, “bagno di foresta”. This
cure is a way to fight the negative effects of technology on humans, and let people
experience all the benefits coming from the contact with nature and improve their
wellness, through several practises. With doctors, environmental guides, and experts, it is
possible to go through the park with a programme of sensorial activities such as walking,
listening of noises produced by water or wind, tasting of specific culinary excellences and
discovering floral composition.
242.6 San Benedetto in Alpe
Leaving Marradi, “The road of Dante” meets the mountain village San Benedetto in
Alpe in the middle of Parco Nazionale delle Foreste del Casentino, between Emilia
Romagna and Tuscany. The leg to reach this stop is one of the longest and most
physically demanding, but pilgrims are rewarded by the fascinating landscape. San
Benedetto in Alpe is located on two levels: the first part called Molino, for the mills that
can be found along the stream Acquacheta, and the second where the Benedictine monks
erected their abbey. The name and the history of the village derive exactly from this
homonym construction founded by San Romualdo and his disciples at the beginning of
the eleventh century, assembling all the small groups of hermits that lived in the areas.
Later the ruling abbots made the monastery one of the richest and most important of the
Tosco-emiliano Appenines together with properties between Forlì, Faenza, and
Florence. In this flourishing period, it is said that the poet Dante Alighieri during his
exile passed near the village and was impressed by the waterfall of Acquacheta,
comparing its noise to the Flegetonte, the river mentioned in the Divina Commedia. The
richness of the flora and the fauna, the unique scenery, and the fame of the poem made
the waterfall a heritage that deserves to be protected, valorised and known by everyone.
After one hour of walking, the wayfarers encounter the famous waterfall, whose water,
falling from the summit, covers almost seventy metres before joining the river Lavane.
Due to the surrounding landscape, such as a big rock outcrops, and thanks to the
disposal of the water and the enormous jump, this spot has a picturesque and evocative
beauty.
253. Experiential travel
3.1 The meaning of experiential travel
“After all, the only rule of travel is,
don’t come back the way you went.
Come a new way”.
Anne Carson
Recently the concept of tourism and travel has changed a lot. Destinations are no longer
seen only as physical subjects, but as a combination of tourism products, being able to
provide an integrated experience to consumers (Buhalis, 1999). Once people travelled
with the aim of leaving the daily routine and taking a short break, nowadays it is more
common to talk about experiential travel. Research shows that experiences are one of
the most important trends in the tourism industry (Lagiewski, Zekan, 2006). In the last
decade, the experiential travel became one of the people’s most appreciated ways of
travelling. In fact, TripAdvisor ,comparing 2018 to 2017, sees an increase of 45% in
selling experiences globally and of the 59% in Italy only, when experiences are defined
as artistic, literature or eno-gastronomic tours, enabling tourists to immerse themselves
in the local culture of the chosen destination. In addition, the global market of
experiential travel reached 254 billion dollars in 2019, as estimated in a research of
Arival, a company dedicated to advance the business of creating amazing in-destination
experiences.
What does experiential travel mean? For some, experiential travel means
doing anything that falls outside of a standard sightseeing, museum-going itinerary. For
others, it is defined by interactions with locals or by going to places that might not be
considered tourist attractions at all (Josh Lew, 2017), while Schneider (2004) describes it
as a “travel that enriches the soul while broadening the mind”. The experiential travel
is based on the assets of authenticity and sustainability, similar to the concept of slow
travel and far from mass tourism. Travellers can rediscover their own localities, change
perspective and immerse themselves in the life and traditions of local inhabitants,
without visiting remote destinations only to follow actual trends. In fact, many
26consumers look for local attributes and consider everyday life of local people an
authentic experience (Richards, 2011). Especially the so called “last and third generation
tourists” search for unique and personalised experiences, which enable them to feel,
discover, and learn something unknown and off the beaten tracks (Hence, 2018). It is
connected to the idea of conscious “travellers”, who do not choose a journey for the
destination but for the intimate experience it provides them, - far from the idea of
“tourists”, who sometimes are just interested in taking pictures and sharing them on
social networks. This turns passive viewers to active ones, who instead of only
observing, they travel to “do” things and interact with the culture of the destination
(Hence, 2018). Shedroff (2001) thinks that there is also a specific segment of tourists,
only looking for unique experiences, called “experiential”. The twenty-first century
tourists are known by their sophisticated taste, they favour less exploited tourist
products in order to discover new original experiences (Hence, 2018). So, the idea is to
provide personalised experiences tailored to the guest, different from the other offers
and unique, preserving the authenticity of the territory in a simple and natural way. The
consumer should be engaged in the design of the experience, developing an interactive
tourism, where travellers have different ranges of options based on their preferences,
emotions, tastes or whatever they search for (Alvarez, 2015). According to the Travel
Market Report (2016), tourists know what they want and became more expert in
explaining their needs to the tourist agencies, that is why they turned to be more
autonomous subjects, creating their journeys instead of buying already built itineraries
(Hence, 2018).
The offer, less standardised, focuses on the emotional aspect and it is intended to teach
something about a place, allowing the person to understand its deep soul through
experience of daily life. Local population is always engaged, helping the traveller to play
the game in first person, stressing the concept of “doing” instead of “seeing”. That is
why websites, travel agencies or private company started selling on the market
alternative types of offers, from culinary or wine classes, to excursions on famous
itineraries or the possibility to immerse into some activity passionate about. Research
suggests that experiences can contribute to differentiate a destination’s offer and to
provide new original services (Lagiewski, Zekan, 2006). Generally, destinations aim at
27increasing customers loyalty, building an emotional bond and providing reasons for
them to want to come back. Competing with experiences is a more recent approach used
by destination management organizations, which started offering activities available
only in visiting that place, in order to create interest for that specific destination (Banff
Lake Louise Tourism, 2005). Consumer experiences is described by LaSalle and Britton
(2003) as “interactions between a customer and a product, a company, or its
representative that leads to a reaction”. Especially Lagiewski and Zekan (2006) in their
paper explain the concept of diversification through experiences analysed by Pine and
Gilmore (1999). Nowadays since the market demand shifts from commodities to
experiences, companies must invest and propose a new type of offer, based on
experience as a form of differentiation (Pine, Gilmore, 1999). Pine and Gilmore consider
experiences as events that personally involve everyone, who is able to create a memory,
constituting the value of these specific experiences. As mentioned above, individuals are
engaged in a personal way, so it could not be possible that two people live the same
experience (Pine, Gilmore, 1999). Since experiences are absolutely sensory and it is
important what the person sees, hears, smells, touches and tastes, Pine and Gilmore
(1999) states that “the more effectively an experience engages the senses, the more
memorable it will be” (Lagiewski, Zekan, 2006). According to Ritchie and Crouch
(2003), the tourism experience is composed by four dimensions that should be all taken
into consideration when creating the offer. The first dimension is the hedonics, such as
doing something memorable or challenging; the second one is the peace of mind,
meaning to have physical comfort and safety along privacy and relaxation; the third one
is the involvement, and the fourth one is recognition (Lagiewski, Zekan, 2006). Since
Nugraha in a study (2019) showed that tourist satisfaction influences revisit intention,
he believes that customer satisfaction should be used as a benchmark in the achievement
of the company’s performance ( Lee, Chang, 2014). Satisfaction is strictly related to the
value of the experience and it can grow in the customer after comparing the perceived
performance with the expected one (Kotler, Keller, 2016). Also Hyunjin(2013) states that
satisfaction is the key to companies’ success and satisfied tourists are the ones who will
surely come back. Sangpikul (2018) determines four indicators to measure travellers’
satisfaction: products and services, people and culture, safety and cleanliness and
overall satisfaction. Products and services are related to tourists’ attractions and services
28provided by the agencies; people and culture linked to the friendliness of locals and
their culture; safety and cleanliness is connected to the protection of customers during
the journey and tourist destinations environmental hygiene and the overall satisfaction
is a picture of tourist satisfaction as a whole (Nugraha, 2019). Memorable aspects,
directly related to feelings of customers, are essential elements in shaping tourists’
satisfaction and consequently impact on revisit intention, affecting traveller loyalty
(Sangpikul, 2019). So, in order to provide an unforgettable experience and fulfil the
desire and demand of tourists, the company can also use the experiential marketing’s
strategy ( Zhang, 2017).
The concept of experiential marketing is the marketing concept of transformation, which
focuses not only on the benefits of the physical product, but mostly on customer’s
emotional side ( Schmitt, 2010). It is a tourist-based approach which tries to involve
emotions and feelings with facilities and services aiming at creating a deep impression,
to obtain the result of revisit intention (Schmitt, Zarantonello, 2013; Tsaur, 2007).
Krishna Yadav and Krishnan ( 2014) affirm that the idea of using experiential marketing
in tourism sector refers to the 1980 when Krippendorf affirmed that the marketing tactics
used by some heritage destinations is in some way a sale of experiences (Leighton, 2007).
While the first businesses that started selling experiences were theme parks and theatres,
nowadays that concept is spreading in every area (Pine, Gilmore, 1998). Generally,
experiential marketers consider consumers as rational and emotional human beings
who search for pleasurable experiences (Schmitt, 1999). The major task is to empower
the guest to feel as a local, for example cooking with the owners in a farmhouse,
harvesting grapes directly on fields, walking surrounded by nature or going fishing
with a real fisherman. It is important to propose unique experiences, which cannot be
found in other places since strongly associated with that specific location. The
experiential travel can impress the traveller, who will remember an experience over
times, thanks to the emotions felt. Indeed, Krishna Yadav and Krishnan (2014)
remarked that the experience and its value do not end as soon as the customer come
back home, but “it is the immediate pleasure as well as the memories that the client gets
after the trip”.
293.2 “The road of Dante” as an experiential travel
Figura 3.1 First stop from Florence
Pilgrimages studies have emerged in the last years as a new field of investigation going
beyond basic definitions that boxed sacred travels into religious or historical paradigms
(Greenia, 2014). In their study (2019) Wu, Chang and Wu wrote that pilgrimage is one
of the most known religious and cultural phenomena. Once it was described as a journey
driven only by religious motivation, nowadays is defined differently, “as a traditional
religious or modern secular journey” (Collins- Kreiner, 2018). According to Barber
(1993), pilgrimage is a trip resulting from religious purposes externally to a holy site,
and internally for spiritual aims and inner understandings. During the pilgrimage,
walkers receive a narrative skeleton dealing with their past, and after the journey, all of
them have experienced emotional healing related to their past pain (Warfield, Baker,
Foxx, 2014). Greenia in his paper (2014) analyses the benefits that pilgrimage-travel
offers and affirms, “it fulfils the quest for authenticity, being a genuine experience of
another age or belief system by replicating the lifestyle of those who sought it before
us”. The experience of pilgrimage is considered able to create lasting memories, being
something to recollect and something that resist time itself. It is said that pilgrims, after
their return ,“ acquire status as living souvenirs that a community holds as keepers of
30memories of what’s been achieved, validated and given human form” ( Davidson,
Gitlitz, 2002). In addition, off-trails form of ego definition, such as uniform dress code,
level of education, money, or specific costume, usually disappear during the walk, since
all the pilgrims are equal (Davidson, Gitlitz, 2002). The journey obtains an imprecise
“transactional value”, meaning that a major effort may have a major reward in terms of
cure, healing, expiation of guilt or sin or a type of protection ( Greenia, 2014). Moreover,
when wayfarers arrive at the end of the journey, reaching a site, considered by others
meaningful for non- material reasons, they will feel enriched, changed, and connected
to values that go beyond the normal ones of individuals. The memory of that journey,
the identity it confers to each travellers and the need to live an authentic experience
should be powerful motivators that encourage people onto the trail ( Greenia, 2014).
As mentioned above, the new forms of tourism are characterised by active experiences
enabling the customers not only to rediscover the cultural and spiritual dimension of
the travel but also to immerse themselves into the real atmosphere and live the charm
evocated by the places (De Salvo, 2016). Although in the contemporary society the
motivation for visiting holy places is changing and people are mainly driven by cultural,
etic, or social reason, recently there has been a revival of religious sites (Digance,2003).
In addition, the visit of holy places coexists with the demand of traveling on historic
itineraries, such as old pilgrimage routes, empowering tourists to live experience based
on authenticity, spirituality, culture and to build a strong connection between people
and places. For this reason, De Salvo in her paper (2016) mentions the concept of
“pilgrimage landscape” of Alderman ( 2002) : an experiential cultural space which involves
many material and immaterial elements, strengthening the importance of the relation
between the religious attraction and the visited territory ( Andriotis, 2011). In fact,
tourists who usually choose destinations or paths with a religious connotation and a
mystic significance, not necessarily are driven by religion, but also by cultural or artistic
motivation together with the desire of visiting that specific territory.
Every cultural and religious itinerary can be a form of sustainable tourism, which can
offer new opportunities to meet different cultures, a mode of socializing and a way to
create relations with local communities, focusing on the relational dimension (Parkins,
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