THE LANDSCAPE OF PILGRIMAGE ROUTES AS TOOL FOR RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

This study focuses on one of the main pilgrim way in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region (North Est Italy) known as the “Cammino Celeste”. Different landscape types were identified according to an index of soil sealing and indices of land use/land cover calculated in a GIS environment. Then the ECOVAST method of visual analysis was applied for the characterization of different landscape types obtained by Cluster analyis and a final Map of landscapes was achieved. The results highlighted a landscape which changes along the Route: simplified landscape due to intensive agriculture in the south portion of the plain becames rich in natural habitats and built-up areas going up to the hill. From the hills to the mountains, vineyards interspersed with woods give way to the woods and less often to meadows.