Integrating Spirituality and Tourism: Insights from a Brescia Conference
Culture, spirituality, and tourism. A triad that can walk hand in hand for a homogeneous development attentive to the being, the soul, and the wallet. The topic was addressed at a recent conference promoted by the Istituto tecnico per il turismo, a school directed by the Piccole Suore della Sacra Famiglia di Castelletto.
Coordinating and weaving together the interventions of the speakers was the lively presence of don Bruno Fasani, director of Verona Fedele. After the greeting from Mayor Giovanni Zappalà and the lecture by Bishop Maffeo Ducoli, president of the Consulta Triveneto per i beni culturali ecclesiastici, it was don Giorgio Benedetti, director of the Ufficio Diocesano della Pastorale per il turismo, who remembered the “possibility of proposing, instead of secular tourism, which already has its advertising channels, a spiritual tourism, offering visits or stops in some places of spirit.” And there are no shortages of destinations.
Destinations of spirituality
Starting from Peschiera with the Sanctuary of Madonna del Frassino, then proceeding to Maguzzano Abbey, and always in Desenzano, the Mericianum spiritual center. A few kilometers further on, still in Brescia territory, stands the ancient Sanctuary of Madonna del Carmine, followed by, overlooking the lake, the Sanctuary of Madonna di Montecastello. On the Veronese side, the Monte San Giorgio Hermitage with a splendid view over Garda stands out, along with the Institute of Piccole Suore della Sacra Famiglia.
High-quality tourist itineraries include the religious event scheduled for April 25th in the waters off Punta San Vigilio. Here, in celebration of the sixteen-hundredth anniversary of the death of the bishop after whom this earthly paradise is named, three boats filled with pilgrims will converge.
Accompanying them will be the bishops of Trento, Verona, and Brescia, who will then, in the Municipality of Garda, celebrate the religious service with the faithful. “The event,” recalled don Benedetti, “aims to draw attention to the work carried out by San Vigilio not only in Trentino but also in the territories of Verona and Brescia, where several churches are dedicated to him. Beyond the commemoration, the initiative highlights the urgency of fostering synergy among the three realities: in pastoral field (for some decades, ecumenical collaborations have been ongoing for tourism and youth pastoral care) and also civil.”
After the erudite address by Erminio Signorini, art history and restoration professor, it was Giorgio Maria Cambiè’s turn to draw more than a few smiles from the audience present in the room. In a lighthearted and playful manner but without neglecting cultivated quotations, he took a stroll through the past, reviving anecdotes, proverbs, and customs from the Garda area.
Traditions, many of which have disappeared, that “over the centuries have shaped our behaviors, our landscape, our perception of facts and values.” In the context of the current tourist organization of Garda, Malossini’s presentation, former tourism councilor of the Provincia Autonoma di Trento, emphasized the lack of planning among public and private institutions and the need to rediscover the Garda Community as a connecting body between the various provincial and regional entities of the Benàco area.
The conference concluded with contributions from Sister Giannandreina Todesco, general superior of the Institute, Sonia Devoti, representative of the local Youth Tourism Center, and Andrea Chignola, representing the students. Also present was the provincial councilor for tourism, Davide Bendinelli.