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The Credential (Pilgrim’s Card) ot Pilgrim credential is a travel document that distinguishes the pilgrim from any other traveler.
It is the document on which Columban Way wayfarers receive a stamp at tourist offices, parishes, accommodations, and refreshment facilities that they encounter along the way.
On it, at each stage, the dates and stamps of the places of hospitality are affixed. It is issued by a religious authority that assumes responsibility for what it says, therefore it must be used responsibly and correctly. Those who intend to make a pilgrimage on foot, by bicycle or on horseback or by other means undertake to accept its meaning and spirit. The Credential of the Way that leads to the City of St. Columbanus is approved by the Diocese of Piacenza Bobbio, in the person of the diocesan Bishop, by the Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Bobbio, by the Provost of the Basilica of St. Columbanus, by the Archpriest of the Cathedral of Bobbio, by the Rector of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Help.
The pilgrim’s credential (or pilgrim’s passport) must be requested at least 3 weeks before departure (1 month for shipments outside Italy) to allow it to be sent via postal service. To cover the costs of the service, we recommend an offer of €5.00 (for pilgrim card + testimonium or chartula) plus postal shipping costs to be paid to the IBAN IT 43 X 05156 65190 CC 02100 10561 of Santa Maria Assunta Parish.
It is possible to collect, book and have the pilgrim card sent to:
A BOBBIO at:
the Statio Peregrinorum ((Pilgrim Office). The responsible is Don Aldo Maggi. Piazza Duomo 7, 29022, Bobbio in the Ancient Curia of Bobbio
Weekly opening hours:
Monday 9:00 – 12.30
Wednesday 9.30am – 12.30pm
Friday 9.30am – 12.00pm and 3.30pm – 6.30pm
Saturday 9.30am – 12.30pm
telephone 0523 936219
email:duomodibobbio@gmail.com – info@latrebbia.it
(or by calling the Secretary Antonella Losini +39 3391878806).
IAT Bobbio
(Tourist Office Bobbio and Val Trebbia)
Piazza San Francesco
29022 Bobbio
tel 0523962815
e-mail: iat@comune.bobbio.pc.it
fb: Iat Bobbio e Val Trebbia
for opening hours consult the municipality website: www.comune.bobbio.pc.it
It is also possible to book and/or collect the pilgrim card at the Association ICAMINANTES APS in one of the available points choosing between:
★ Milano
Dateo area during the week/day and evening
Lambro Park area / Cascina Library during the week / Office hours
★ Monza/Villasanta / Evening hours
To book/collect write to: scrivi@icaminantes.com
For more information:
www.icaminantes.com
The following are authorized to stamp the pilgrim’s card:
– Statio Peregrinorum
– IAT Bobbio
– Casa del Pellegrino Sant’Antonio Maria Gianelli
Piazza San Colombano, 3
29022, Bobbio
Tel.: 0523 076062
email: chirackal.rosa@gmail.com
every day from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
The Testimonium Peregrinationis Peractae ad Sancti Columbani Civitatem.
The religious certificate proves the pilgrimage to the tomb of San Colombano in Bobbio. Its origin is connected to the penitential or judicial pilgrimages of the Middle Ages: sometimes, a long journey was undertaken, with all the risks and expenses involved, because it was forced by a sentence from the judge or a penance from the confessor. In these cases, it was necessary to prove that the goal had been achieved to receive absolution and remission of the civil or canonical punishment. The Testimonium thus acquires the value of a precious memory to be brought back home and perhaps hung on the wall so that the memory of the experience lived remains alive, with the values and feelings that led to the discovery. The certificate is issued on the condition of having traveled at least the last 150 km on foot or by bicycle from the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio to the Saint’s tomb in Bobbio. The stamps and dates affixed to your Credential will be valid. The Testimonium is issued with the approval of the religious authorities of Bobbio: the Bishop of Piacenza–Bobbio, the Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Bobbio, the Provost of the Basilica of Saint Columba, the Archpriest of the Cathedral of Bobbio, the Rector of the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Aiuto.
Il Testimonium can only be received in person in Bobbio, the final destination of Columban Way.
Pilgrims must announce their arrival at least 24 hours in advance by calling the Statio Peregrinorium or the IAT Bobbio during opening hours.
Once in Bobbio, pilgrims can present themselves at the “Statio Peregrinorum,” where they will be welcomed, register their arrival, and obtain a completed journey certificate by submitting their credentials.
It is essential to notify your arrival at least 24 hours in advance.
Here, they will also find directions for reception in Bobbio and will be invited to participate in the various liturgical moments of the Basilica of Saint Columban, in particular the “Pilgrim’s Mass,” during which they are greeted remembering their name, nationality, and place from.
The “Pilgrim’s Mass” is aimed in particular at those pilgrims who reach Bobbio on foot or by bicycle. It is celebrated in Bobbio
Sundays and holiday:
9.00 am BV Sanctuary of Help
10.00 am St. Columban Abbey
11.15 am Cathedral
6.00 pm Cathedral
Satudays and days before holidays:
9.00 am BV Sanctuary of Help
6.00 pm Cathedral
Weekdays
9.00 am BV Sanctuary of Help (from May to October)
9.00 am Church of San Lorenzo (November to April)
Friday at 6.00 pm in the Cathedral all year round
The “Chartula Peregrini”, which contains a prayer of Saint Columba, is the diploma that is issued to all pilgrims who arrive in Bobbio regardless of the distance travelled. It is recognized that it is not the distance traveled that makes the pilgrim, but the spirit with which he arrives in Bobbio.
“The Certificate of the Four-legged Pilgrim” is a postcard depicting San Colombano and the tamed bear with the name of his dog or other living being, through which we intend to recognize the value of the company offered to the pilgrim during the journey towards Bobbio.