CoEur is a Christian devotional and hiking route in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. Its Italian subtitle, ''Nel cuore dei cammini d'Europa'', translates as "In the heart of Europe's paths".

History of the route

The path CoEUR was created in the late 1990s, when information about Saint

Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo (; ; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was an Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic prelate who served as Archdiocese of Milan, Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was made a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal in 156 ...

's trips in the northern

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

was discovered, leading to the initiation of 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 The Via Francigena (), also known as Francisca or Romea, is an ancient road and Christian pilgrimage, pilgrimage route running from the City status in the United Kingdom#Cathedral towns, cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and ...

passes through the province of Biella. This track has been used as a starting point for the CoEUR path, which links all the devotional places along Lake Maggiore up to

Locarno Locarno (; ; Ticinese dialect, Ticinese: ; formerly in ) is a southern Switzerland, Swiss List of towns in Switzerland, town and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district Locarno (district), Locarno (of which it is the capita ...

. In its ideal prosecution, the path reaches

Einsiedeln Abbey Einsiedeln Abbey () is a Catholic monastery administered by the Benedictine Order in the village of Einsiedeln, Switzerland. The Abbey of Einsiedeln is one of the most important baroque monastic sites and the largest place of pilgrimage in Swit ...

connecting the Via Francigena with the

Camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago (, ; ), or the Way of St. James in English, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tra ...

in its Swiss section, named

Via Jacobi The Via Jacobi leads from the Lake of Constance to Geneva, Switzerland. It is a part of the European Way of St. James, a pilgrimage route to the grave of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, one of the oldest religious traditi ...

. This combination of paths creates a connection between two sanctuaries consecrated to the

black Madonna The term ''Black Madonna'' or ''Black Virgin'' tends to refer to statues or paintings in Western Christendom of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, where both figures are depicted with dark skin. The Jungian scholar, San Begg publ ...

Oropa Oropa is a ''frazione'' of the municipality of Biella, in Piedmont, northern Italy. It is famous for the Black Virgin of Oropa statue, which is located in the Sanctuary of Oropa, the List of basilicas in Italy, basilica of the Sacro Monte di Oro ...

and Einsiedeln.

Sectors of the route

Path of Saint Charles

This path follows routes made by Saint Charles Borromeo during his many pilgrimages through

Lake Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; ; ; ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (; ) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland. The lake and its shoreline are divided be ...

Lake Orta Lake Orta (; Lombard and ) or Cusio (Lombard and ; ) is a lake in northern Italy, west of Lake Maggiore. It has been so named since the 16th century, but was previously called Lago di San Giulio, after Saint Julius (4th century), the patron s ...

, the Sesia valley, the Biellese territory and

Canavese Canavese ( French: ''Canavais''; Piedmontese: ''Canavèis'') is a subalpine geographical and historical area of North-West Italy which lies today within the Metropolitan City of Turin in Piedmont. Its main town is Ivrea and it is famous for its c ...

. Twelve stages connect Arona with the Via Francigena in Viverone, passing by three

Sacri Monti The (plural of , Italian for "Sacred Mountain") of Piedmont and Lombardy are a series of nine calvaries or groups of chapels and other architectural features created in northern Italy during the late sixteenth century and the seventeenth century ...

and many sanctuaries of the Verbano, Cusio and Biellese territories.

Via delle Genti

This route starts in Arona, runs along Lake Maggiore as far as

Brissago Brissago (, ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Locarno (district), district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland, bordering Italy. Brissago lies on the western shore of Lake Maggiore and includes the Brissago Is ...

, and

Bellinzona Bellinzona ( , ; ; is a municipality, a List of towns in Switzerland, historic Swiss town, and the capital of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The town is famous for its Three Castles of Bellinzona, three castles (Castelgrande, Montebello, Sa ...

, and continues towards the

Gotthard Pass The Gotthard Pass or St. Gotthard Pass (; ) at is a mountain pass in the Alps traversing the Saint-Gotthard Massif and connecting northern Switzerland with southern Switzerland. The pass lies between Airolo in the Italian-speaking canton of Ti ...

, that connects the southern Swiss cantons (

Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...

and

Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...

) with the central cantons of (

Uri Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), off Malakula Island in V ...

and Graubünden).

Via Spiritualità

This path connects

Domodossola Domodossola (; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy. It was also known as Oscela, Oscella, Oscella dei Leponzi, Ossolo, Ossola Lepontiorum, and Domo d'Ossola (due to it ...

and

Baceno Baceno ( Lombard ''Bascén'', Walser German: ''Aager'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Verbania, on the border with S ...

with the Swiss town

Ernen Ernen is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Goms (district), Goms in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Valais in Switzerland. In 2005 Ernen incorporated the formerly independent municipalities of Ausserbinn, Müh ...

along ancient mule tracks. From Domodossola the way goes along the

Toce The Toce (; ; ) is a river in Piedmont, Italy, which stretches the length of the Val d'Ossola from the Swiss border to Lake Maggiore into which it debouches near Fondotoce in the commune of Verbania. The river is long and is formed in the uppe ...

river through the Antigorio valley, as far as the Arbola Pass, connecting Italy and Valais, and afterwards ends up in Ernen. From Domodossola the way continues towards

Verbania Verbania (, , ) is the most populous ''comune'' (municipality) and the capital city of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is situated on the shore of Lake Maggiore, about north-west of Milan and ab ...

and the main path of CoEUR passing through

Ornavasso Ornavasso (Ossolano: ''Urnavass'', Walser German: ''Urnafasch'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Verbania. Overview Or ...

, with its cycle paths.

Via del Mercato

This historic way starts in Domodossola and goes through the

Valle Vigezzo Valle Vigezzo (Vigezzo Valley) is a valley in the Lepontine Alps in northwestern Italy on the border with Ticino, Canton Ticino of Switzerland. It forms the eastern branch of the Ossola valley. It is also called the Valle dei Pittori (Valley of ...

and the Centovalli as far as Locarno. The track uses trails and mule tracks of the ancient Via del Mercato, the way on which merchants 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. This path includes the Santuario della Madonna del Sangue in Re, a destination of many pilgrimages from the neighbourhood, halfway between the

Ossola The Ossola (; ), also Valle Ossola or Val d'Ossola (; ), is an area of Northwest Italy situated to the north of Lago Maggiore. It lies within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its principal river is the Toce, and its most important town Do ...

valley and Lake Maggiore.

The ring of Saint Charles

In the

Cannobio Cannobio is a town and ''comune'' on the river Cannobino and the shore of Lago Maggiore in Piedmont, Italy. History The local inhabitants probably became subject to Ancient Rome, Roman rule by the time of the emperor Augustus Caesar, Augustus. ...

valley there is a network of paths connecting the numerous villages in the valley associated with Charles Borromeo's visits to the Pieve of Cannobio.

The UNESCO sites

The CoEUR path connects nine

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

. Two in Switzerland: *

Monte San Giorgio Monte San Giorgio is a Swiss mountain and UNESCO World Heritage Site near the border between Switzerland and Italy. It is part of the Lugano Prealps, overlooking Lake Lugano in the Swiss Canton of Ticino. Monte San Giorgio is a wooded mountai ...

Three Castles of Bellinzona The Castles of Bellinzona are a group of fortifications located around the town of Bellinzona, the capital of the Swiss canton of Ticino. Situated on the Alpine foothills, the group is composed of fortified walls and three castles named Castelgran ...

Seven in Italy: * Five out of nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy: **

Sacro Monte di Oropa The Sacro Monte di Oropa (literally ‘Sacred Mount of Oropa’) is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the province of Biella, Piedmont, northern Italy. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy and is on the UNESCO World Her ...

Sacro Monte di Varallo Giovanni d' Enrico, ''Ecce Homo ''(detail of the crowd calling for crucifixion), 1608–9 The Sacred Mountain of Varallo () is a '' Sacro Monte'' ("sacred mountain", a type of mountainside Christian devotional complex) overlooking the town of ...

Sacro Monte di Orta The Sacro Monte di Orta (literally: "Sacred Mountain of Orta") is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Orta San Giulio (Piedmont, northern Italy) on the summit of a hill known as San Nicolao, on the eastern shore of Lake Orta. It ...

** Sacro Monte di Ghiffa ** Sacro Monte di Domodossola * Two Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps: ** VI.1-Emissario by the Viverone Lake ** Mercurago by Arona

Natural reserves

Along the way there are many nature parks and natural reserves. * National park of the Locarnese territory (CH) - Waiting for law approval * Forest reserve of Palagnedra (CH) * Forest reserve of the Sacred wood of Mergugno (CH) * Bolle di Magadino Natural Reserve (CH) *

Val Grande National Park Val Grande National Park () is a protected area located in Piedmont, in the north of Italy. It is most notable for landscapes of the High Alps. Geography The park is located in Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and is shared between ten municipali ...

Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero Natural Park The Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero Natural Park was established in 1995 and is in the Ossola valley, in Piedmont, in the Province of Verbania, Italy. It is part of the Western Alps, Occidental Alps. History The hollows are geologically and mineralo ...

* Alta Valle Antrona Natural Park * Fondo Toce Natural Reserve * Lagoni di Mercurago Natural Park *

Monte Fenera Natural Park The Monte Fenera Nature Park is a nature reserve of 725.98 hectares on the hills of the Valsesia around the Monte Fenera at an altitude of 899 m. In the karst caves remains of Neanderthal, Mousterian (Paleolithic) and cave bear The cave bear (' ...

* Parco Burcina Natural Reserve * Bessa Natural Reserve * Sacro Monte di Varallo Natural Reserve * Sacro Monte di Orta Natural Reserve * Sacro Monte di Oropa Natural Reserve * Protected area of the Oasi Zegna * SCI of the Valsessera

References

External links

*
official site
{{National parks of Italy , state=collapsed Hiking trails in Italy Hiking trails in Switzerland