The great Jubilee pilgrimage of 1,306 km with the relic of Saint Anthony was presented, from June 29 to September 21, along the roads traveled by Saint Anthony 800 years ago.
Sixty stages, six regions, 2 million steps, over 1,300 kilometers on foot. A unique pilgrimage from Brive-la-Gaillarde to Padova, following the footsteps of Saint Anthony, the pilgrim of hope. From June 29 to September 21, 2025, “En Route with Saint Anthony” comes to life, a great walking journey to retrace the Franciscan steps of Anthony in France and Northern Italy between 1224 and 1227.
Eight hundred years ago, we would have found Saint Anthony walking and preaching in France between 1224 and 1227, before crossing the Alps to assume the leadership of the northern Italian province (1227-1230).
His successors in the 21st century – the Conventual Friars of the Italian Province of St. Anthony of Padova along with the Custody of the Conventual Friars of France and Belgium – have desired and decided to retrace Saint Anthony’s footsteps this entire Jubilee summer. The journey will begin on June 29 from Brive-la-Gaillarde in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (an Antonian place because the Saint stayed here in caves that bear his name) and end in Padova on September 21. The initiative, which is part of the Antonio800 project, was presented during the context of the June Antoniano and is titled “En Route with Saint Anthony.” It promises to be the major Antonian event of the summer of 2025 due to its potential and the involvement of many people and regions.
A great walking journey that, from June 29 to September 21, 2025, will retrace in 60 stages and 1,306 km, crossing 5 regions (2 French and 3 Italian) and 20 dioceses. In each stage, pilgrims will alternate in relay, welcomed by religious and civil communities in a spirit of fraternity, prayer, and sharing. It is a participatory journey of fraternity, open to anyone who wishes to be part of it. No need to register or state your motivation: just the desire to walk together for 1, 10, or 100 kilometers by showing up at the start of each stage. The website https://www.antonio800.org/en-route/tappe/ is the reference point for the program, elevation, and difficulty level of the route (easy, medium, challenging, very challenging). Join us at the start at the scheduled time: anyone who is there and wants to be part of it… is more than welcome! Logistics, food, and accommodation are the responsibility of the individual.
A symbolic and spiritual element of the entire journey will be the relic of the Saint, kept in a special travel reliquary, which will accompany the pilgrims throughout the walk.
The initiative is part of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of Saint Anthony (1220–1231 / 2020–2031), which commemorate the main milestones in the life and ministry of Saint Anthony.
Not least: the entire project has no sponsors. The costs of the initiative are entirely supported by the Conventual Friars of the Italian Province of St. Anthony of Padova, but this occasion serves as the perfect opportunity to link the celebratory journey to the charity work of Saint Anthony. The funds collected will support a Caritas Saint Anthony project for access to water. In choosing which project to associate with “En Route with Saint Anthony,” the project team was surprised to discover how far people who lack access to water must walk to quench their thirst and supply water for their families. Thus, through both online and in-person collections, a well will be built in Ghana for the village of Afrangua and the Franciscan Valley. Anyone on www.antonio800.org can “adopt a kilometer” of the 1,306 kilometers traveled by the “pilgrim walkers,” knowing that they are also supporting the “walkers in need.”