A particular expression of devotion to St. Anthony is the Walk of Saint Anthony, called "The Last Walk", a journey of 25 km from Camposampiero to Padua which covers the last journey of the saint, on 13 June 1231, the day of his death.
The Last Walk
When Anthony felt that the hour of death was near he asked to be brought from Camposampiero, where he had retired to the contemplative life, to Padua, where he wished to end his days. But he died on the outskirts of the city in a place called Arcella, where an important church was later built.
For centuries, pilgrims and devotees of the Saint, after receiving a blessing and credentials from the friars at Camposampiero, have initiated the walk to reach first the church of Saint Antonino in Arcella and finally the Basilica within the city.
So every year, around the time of the June 13 Feast (generally during the Tredicina), a pilgrimage for young people is organised (also open to pilgrims of all ages) which draws people from all parts of Italy.
The route is almost entirely car-free: it winds mainly through dirt-roads and river banks until it reaches the outskirts of Padua, only crossing paved roads from time to time. This makes the recreation of Anthony’s last journey a safe one for all pilgrims who undertake it on foot, by bicycle or on horseback.
Those pilgrims who manage to reach St. Anthony’s Basilica in Padua are entitled to receive the “Cartula”, a precious certificate/blessing in Latin, signed by the Rector, from the sacristy of the Basilica. This document officially certifies the completion of the pilgrimage.
The Long Walk
There is also another path associated with Saint Anthony, the so-called Long Walk of Saint Anthony. This path, which was inaugurated in 2010, extends from Camposampiero or from Venice to the Shrine of La Verna (AR) in central Italy. This pilgrimage intends to become an ideal extension of the itinerant life of Brother Anthony of Padua, “from Lisbon”.
For more information regarding these pilgrimages visit: www.ilcamminodisantantonio.org
The site is managed by the friars of the Basilica.