They have arrived in Rome. Today the young people of CON-TATTO met Pope Francis, after walking the Via Francigena. CON-TATTO is an initiative organized by the Rotary Club of Turin D2031, in collaboration with the Turin ASL and the Rotary Club of Viterbo, thanks to the special presence of Simona Tartaglia, Councillor De Carolis and Alessandra Croci of the Via Francigena in Tuscia Association. A group of autistic young people crossed Italy along the pilgrims’ route and, with their invisible and silent steps, marked their passage through Viterbo on 31 May 2021.
On their arrival in Viterbo, the young people received from Viterbo’s Councillor for Tourism, De Carolis, the “little foot” ceramic medal made by Cinzia Chiulli, engraved with their own name and the words “MY STEP IS ALREADY HISTORY”. Cinzia Chiulli then welcomed the young people into her workshop on Via San Pellegrino, an ancient street in Viterbo’s medieval quarter that has always seen the passage of pilgrims heading to the eternal city.
It was a very evocative meeting; the young people were all very attentive and took part with great interest. I was moved, it was a beautiful exchange of energy. To mark this event I created a ceramic plate (handmade using the “zaffera” technique, in a limited series) which Simona Tartaglia, wife of Giorgio Capitani of the Rotary Club of Viterbo, presented to the young people of CON-TATTO. On the back of the plate I summarized the meaning of the design: THE TREE. Inspired by the 22 paths of life and the 22 Major Arcana, long defined as the “silent book”. We re-establish CON-TATTO [CONTACT] with the deepest part of ourselves, we learn to listen to silences, often more eloquent than words. At the tips of the leaves you can “read” footprints, a metaphorical symbol of life’s journey. The Rotary Club of Viterbo wants to immortalize this CON-TATTO with your association, where every step, lived in the magic of silence, becomes a story where words alone would not be enough to express the emotions that pilgrims crossing the Via Francigena have felt for centuries.
For Viterbo, this was an event we can be proud of. These young people are truly special, and we hope to be able to meet them again soon. What remains of them is their signature on the stone that marks their passage over time. Their signatures join the many left by pilgrims passing through Viterbo, already collected in Cinzia Chiulli Percorsi Artistici’s workshop. The City of Viterbo is ready to welcome all the pilgrims of the Via Francigena who pass through our City.
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