Via delle Abbazie

For abbeys: the Via network

Via delle Abbazie exists because your communities exist, and the silence of your cloisters. Those who arrive by bike should knock with respect, at the right hour, without weighing on your day. That is why we propose a simple, free agreement that can be ended at any time.

Where we stand

Contacts just started · no formal members yet

Our contacts with the abbeys have only just begun, and for now none has formally joined the network. This page explains what we propose. We will update it when a written yes arrives from you.

Why a network

  • People arriving by bike usually ask for a stamp, a safe place for the bike and, when there is one, a bed. Putting it in writing avoids last-minute requests and misunderstandings.
  • Each abbey decides what to offer. The stamp alone counts as full membership.
  • Pilgrims learn in advance about opening times, rules on silence and dress, and moments of prayer they may discreetly join.

Proposed membership protocol

Four elements, all optional except the first.

Core element

Credential stamp

An abbey stamp (your own, if you have one) on the pilgrim credential. If you don't have one, we will provide one free of charge with your name. You decide where and when stamping is possible: porter's lodge, bookshop, ticket office or guesthouse.

Optional

Bike space

Somewhere to leave bikes during a visit or overnight: a courtyard, a portico or a storeroom. No rack is needed, but if one would help we can supply a simple one.

Optional

Guesthouse (if any)

If you have a guesthouse, you can set your terms for Via pilgrims: booking required, maximum places, donation or rate set by you, and any discount with the credential. There is no obligation to reserve places.

Optional

A small plaque or sticker reading "Abbey of the Via", displayed wherever you prefer, even indoors only. It is discreet and non-commercial, and you can remove it whenever you wish.

Mutual commitments

We commit to

  • Publish on your abbey's page only the information you authorise (times, contacts, rules), and update it within 7 days of any request.
  • Always ask pilgrims to book guesthouses directly with you. We do not take bookings or act as intermediaries.
  • Promote a code of conduct: silence in cloistered areas, appropriate dress, bikes never inside churches or cloisters, punctuality and respect for opening times.
  • Never use the abbey's name or images for commercial purposes without your written consent.
  • Provide all materials free of charge: stamp if needed, plaque or sticker, spare credentials and an information sign.
  • Collect pilgrims' feedback, good and less good, and pass it on to you.
  • Notify you at least 3 months in advance of informal group get-togethers (such as the Grand Départ, which is free and not an organised event) passing by, and ask participants to travel in small groups and respect your hours.

We kindly ask you, where possible, to

  • Stamp pilgrims' credentials during the hours you indicate.
  • Let us know about closures, works or changes in opening times so we can inform pilgrims.
  • Name a contact person (even just an email address or the porter's lodge number).

Costs

None. Membership is free and carries no financial obligation on either side. Pilgrims' donations for hospitality remain a direct matter between you and them.

Leaving the network

One email is enough. We will remove references to your membership from the website within 7 days.

A secular, respectful pilgrimage

The Via is open to those who believe and to those looking for something else. We ask riders to enter the abbeys with a guest's manners, the bike left outside and the voice kept low.

The 29 places on the Via

These are the places the Via passes through, each with its own page. For now none has formally joined the network.

How to join

Write to thaleaproject@gmail.com or reply to the letter we sent you. We prepare a one-page sheet with what you offer; you correct it and sign it. That's all.

Write to us to join

Created by Andrea Bariselli with Claudio Sabatti and Andrea Razio, the Via aims to share the land, a quiet cloister, a guesthouse courtyard at dusk. It is crossed by bike, slowly and with respect. An amateur, non-profit project. The tracks are indicative: everyone rides independently, at their own risk.