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The path CoEUR - In the heart of European paths (Nel cuore dei cammini d'Europa) is a devotional and hiking itinerary between Italy and Switzerland.
Contents
History of the route
The path CoEUR was born in the late 1990s, when information about Saint Charles Borromeo's trips in the northern Piedmont was discovered. After these studies were created the Path of Saint Charles (Cammino di San Carlo) between Arona, the town where the Archbishop was born, and Viverone, the town where the Via Francigena passes through the province of Biella.
This track has been used as a starting point to draw the path CoEUR, whose aim is to link all the devotional places along the Lake Maggiore up to Locarno. In its ideal prosecution, the path reaches Einsiedeln abbey connecting the Via Francigena with the Camino de Santiago in its Swiss section, named Via Jacobi.
This combination of ways create a connection between two of the most important sanctuaries consecrated to the black Madonna: Oropa and Einsiedeln.
Path of Saint Charles
This path walks on the way made by Saint Charles Borromeo during his many pilgrimages through Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta, the Sesia valley, the Biellese territory and Canavese.
Twelve stages connect Arona with the Via Francigena in Viverone, passing by three Sacri Monti and many sanctuaries of the Verbano, Cusio and Biellese territories.
Via delle Genti
This is a way starting in Arona which runs along the Lake Maggiore as far as Brissago, Locarno, and Bellinzona, continuing towards the Gotthard Pass, that connects the southern Swiss cantons (Valais and Ticino) with the center cantons (Uri and Graubünden).
Via Spiritualità
This path connects Domodossola and Baceno with the Swiss town Ernen throughout ancient mule tracks.
From Domodossola the way goes along the Toce river through the Antigorio valley, as far as the Arbola Pass, that connects Italy and Valais, and afterwards end up in Ernen.
From Domodossola the way continues towards Verbania and the main path of CoEUR passing through Ornavasso, with its cycle paths.
Via del Mercato
This historic way starts in Domodossola and goes through the Valle Vigezzo and the Centovalli as far as Locarno. The track uses trails and mule tracks of the ancient Via del Mercato, the way on which commerciants from Italy and Switzerland transported goods. In the early 20th century the Centovalli railway was built in order to develop commerce and nowadays it is a major tourist attraction.
Center of this path is the Santuario della Madonna del Sangue in Re, destination of many pilgrimages from the neighbourhood, half way between the Ossola valley and Lake Maggiore.
The ring of Saint Charles
In the Cannobio valley there is a network of paths connecting the numerous villages in the valley. This paths were walked through by Saint Charles Borromeo when he visited the Pieve of Cannobio.
The witches of Croveo
The way connecting Baceno with Croveo is filled with plaques explaining legends, popular beliefs and historic proof of the many witchcraft trials that occurred in this area in the past centuries.
The UNESCO sites
The path CoEUR connect nine UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Two in Switzerland:
Seven in Italy:
Natural reserves
Along the way there are many nature parks and natural reserves.