On the occasion of the Jubilee 2025, the Jubilee Equiraduno was presented, a horseback ride ‘from San Piero to San Pietro’ in the name of sustainable tourism that will lead riders and amazons from Pisa to Rome along the ancient pilgrims' routes.
The initiative is part of the Horse Green Experience - Jubilee 2025, a project promoted by Final Furlong, sponsored by the Dicastero dell'Evangelizzazione and in collaboration with Simtur and Ass.ne Natura a Cavallo, designed to enhance slow tourism and gentle mobility through a unique experience among nature, culture and spirituality. An exceptional event capable of linking spirituality, art, history and environmental protection.
The choice of Pisa as the starting point of the Tuscan leg of the Equiraduno has a particularly significant symbolic and operational significance. Historically known as ‘The City of Horses’, Pisa was a winter destination for horses coming mainly from England, becoming a place of care, rest and welcome. Today, this vocation is reflected in the presence of excellences such as the University Veterinary Clinic, the San Rossore racecourse, important thoroughbred horse breeding centres and the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Natural Park, a veritable treasure trove of biodiversity and an ideal setting for slow tourism practices. Although not directly located on the Via Francigena, Pisa is a natural junction for the northern section of the route, connecting northern Italy with the great historical routes leading to Rome, in a crossroads between tradition and innovation in the sign of sustainable mobility.
The journey on horseback, which winds its way along three important historical routes - Via Romea Strata, Via Francigena and Via Romea Germanica - will start on 23 April from San Piero a Grado, a symbolic and spiritually charged place: here, according to tradition, St Peter landed on his journey to Rome, making the place an ideal bridge between the origins of Christianity and the Jubilee.
PROGRAMME
Tuesday 22 April - workshop at the TNO Chamber of Commerce aimed at companies wishing to open up to the world of tourism with horses. This will be followed by a welcome for riders at San Rossore with horse inspection by the veterinarians of the Ateneo Pisano.
Guests and guests will attend a Gala evening at the Verdi Theatre, organised by Fondazione Arpa in cooperation with Fondazione Teatro Verdi.
Wednesday 23 April at noon - blessing of the horses at the Basilica of San Piero a Grado with greetings from the institutions.
In the afternoon, a group of horses and riders will participate in the ‘toast of the stirrup’ in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, followed by a procession through the streets of the historic centre to Piazza dei Miracoli, where they will be received by the Opera President of the Opera della Primaziale. This will be followed by a convivial evening in the San Rossore Park.
The following day, the Equiraduno will depart from the San Rossore Racecourse and head towards Lucca.
From Capannori to Fucecchio, the route intercepts one of the most fascinating stretches of the Tuscan plain, enriched by the presence of the Padule di Fucecchio (Fucecchio Marshes), Italy's largest inland wetland, an ideal habitat for extraordinary biodiversity. It is precisely here that the signing of the framework agreement between Final Furlong and the Romea Strata will take place, a crucial moment that strengthens the synergy between paths and territories.
After Gambassi, famous for its thermal waters and its central role in the medieval road network, the journey will touch upon San Gimignano, one of the most iconic villages in Italy, with its towers that stand like sentinels of time, a treasure trove of art and religious testimonies. The stop at Abbadia a Isola, an ancient Benedictine garrison and refuge for wayfarers, paves the way for the arrival in Siena, where several appointments will be celebrated, including an important conference ‘Horse Green Day’, a travelling initiative that combines tradition, sustainability and innovation in slow tourism, realised in close collaboration with the University of Siena. In this context, the relationship between city and horse takes on a profound cultural value and a vision of the territory that combines identity, landscape and collective participation.
From here, the journey continues to Monteroni d'Arbia, gateway to the Crete Senesi and the important Suvignano estate, a symbolic place wrested from Mafia hands and returned to the community. We then reach Montalcino, home of the famous Brunello wine and a meeting point between viticulture, art and spirituality. Next, we will reach Piancastagnaio, a virtuous municipality that has decided to open up to tourism with horses in an authoritative manner, where an interesting conference dedicated to assisted interventions with animals is scheduled, testifying to the therapeutic and social value of the relationship with horses.
The last stop in Tuscany, on 4 May, will be Acquapendente, from where the journey will continue in Lazio, with the arrival scheduled for 11 May in St. Peter's Square, the heart of the Jubilee.
The Equiraduno is much more than an event: it is a cultural process, a community on the move, a concrete opportunity to rediscover the territory and build a new model of tourism, more respectful and participatory.
For further information and details on the route, please visit the official website: