Where the devoted once walked, trekkers want to follow – with a virtual ‘pilgrim passport’ in hand, as Fiona Galea Debono reports.

An ancient pilgrimage, which dates back to the 16th century, has been resurrected by a hiking group that wants to develop an app to help trekkers navigate the 28-kilometre trail.

The Universal Peace Walk has been almost two years in the making by XirCammini, a voluntary organisation that focuses on hiking and the spiritual and historical aspect of ancient pilgrimage routes.

Although it has been organising walks since it was set up in 2018, this is the first long-distance pilgrimage XirCammini has created. It is also a first for Malta, which only has a handful of marked trails, according to committee member John Chircop.

“We are witnessing a surge of people exploring the countryside,” he said.

“But we lack long distance trails in Malta. This could be a novel attraction for many, locals and foreigners alike.”

Chircop and XirCammini founder James Portelli, who has a strong interest in history and has been researching the long-distance walks, recreated the trail that harks back to 1543 when it was started by Bishop Domenico Cubelles.

To consolidate the power of the Catholic Church in Malta, the pilgrimage linked the parishes together, starting from Mdina, through to Żebbuġ, Siġġiewi, Mqabba and Qrendi, ending up at the old church of St Catherine, in Żejtun.

Today, the parishes have, of course, increased and the way they connect, and, consequently, the route, has changed considerably. Now it even includes a runway that has had to be worked around.

The route of the Universal Peace Walk that a group of hikers wants to revive for modern-day pilgrims. Map: Christian Busuttil/Design Studio

The pilgrimage joining the parishes was held once a year, Chircop explained. But COVID got in the way of launching the revived version.

It was due to begin as an organised walking group activity and temporary signs were put up. But while hiking has picked up significantly over the last year, opening up the Peace Walk to hundreds of walkers gathering at the same time was out.

However, XirCammini has,  meanwhile, been working on installing permanent stone markers along the route.

Chircop highlighted the complexity of setting up the pilgrim path, which involves reaching out to local councils for their support in signposting. He admits not everyone has agreed.

Other challenges along the way have included the organisation of police presence in some busy areas, especially in the south.

“We tried to avoid busy roads while linking up the parishes but it is impossible,” he said.

The pilgrimage’s main focus is on highlighting important landmarks and overlooked historical elements in the hope that walkers can discover countryside niches and old chapels on the town fringes. The trail also incorporates open stretches, stunning views and hidden alleyways.

Chircop has repeatedly visited areas to try to keep the route both safe and interesting for hikers.

John Chircop (left) and James Portelli plan to resurrect the pilgrimage more than 470 years after it was first created. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Meanwhile, a navigational app has been designed but it has yet to be developed due to lack of funding and a feasibility assessment.

“We need to be sure of sufficient interest to justify the recurring costs which can run into thousands of euros,” Chircop pointed out.

XirCammini has met with the Malta Tourism Authority and with local established NGOs to collaborate and pool resources and is considering charging for the app to help cover costs.

It would provide directions, meaning the long pilgrimage could be undertaken alone and would not need to be done in one go.

“Spiritual tourism is a sector of special interest tourism that is gaining a lot of attention abroad,” Chircop said.

“The French route of the Camino de Santiago is incredibly popular, with some 180,000 pilgrims covering the route in 2019. There is potential for such routes.”

Just like the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, hikers on the Maltese pilgrimage would be able to claim a certificate of completion once the destination is reached. But, in this case, the twice daily stamps on the ‘pilgrim passport’ would be collected virtually and auto-matically as certain milestones are passed.

The app is designed to provide information about each landmark, touching on the food, traditions and dress of the time.

Some historical chapels and monuments are often closed and not as interesting from the outside as from within, Chircop said. So, the app would offer video clips, images and 3D renderings of the interiors of these landmarks.

As for when the reborn pilgrimage will finally get off the ground, Chircop is confident XirCammini will be able to create a scaled-down first version of the Universal Peace Walk app, with limited features, relatively soon.