From Marbella to the Vatican: travelling around 2,500 kilometres without any money

Two young men are setting out on an adventure to reach the Holy See on foot without financial resources, to demonstrate "the goodness of human beings"

María Albarral

Marbella

Tuesday, 11 February 2025, 09:18

"It is our way of demonstrating faith and human kindness". With these words Adrián Ruiz sums up for SUR the adventure he is about to begin with his friend and travelling companion Andrea Martello. These two young men are setting off for the Vatican from Marbella without any money and are dependent on the kindness of the people they meet to feed themselves along the 2,500 kilometres of the journey.

This project, called 'Un camino por descubrir' (a road to be discovered), will start on 1 March and the pair expect to arrive in the Holy City in mid-May. "We will record every moment and upload it to social media. We want to be influencers of good", adds Ruiz.

So, taking advantage of the Jubilee year in the Vatican, these pilgrims are making this special journey, the highlight of which will be the audience with Pope Francis. "For us it is a source of pride to be able to tell him about our experience and to tell him that we have been able to see the goodness of people. We are convinced that it will be an unforgettable experience," he says.

So, armed with only a backpack, Adrián and Andrea will set out on a long journey with full expectations and empty pockets. "We aren't taking money, just food," Adrián says, adding that "we'll sleep in the countryside, taking shelter under trees that we find, and we'll wash in the rivers and on the beaches.

Apart from Marbella, where they both live, Adrián and Andrea want to give a nod to their roots. Adrián is from Cantabria and Andrea is from Venice. This is not the first time that these adventurers have undertaken an experience of this kind, as they have already made the journey between the coastal town and the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana on the Cantabrian coast. "The walk through Spain was spectacular and the people welcomed us with enthusiasm. For us it has also been a way of highlighting the value of empty and rural Spain," Adrián says.

Details

The adventure departs from Marbella by boat to Sicily and they will take with them an evergreen Royal Cypress, the species from which Christ's cross was made. "We will plant it here in a pot before setting off and it will grow during the journey so that the Pope can bless it afterwards," explains Adrián, pointing out that afterwards "we will take it to the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana to leave it there, which is where the relic of a piece of the Holy Cross is to be found.

From there they will continue the journey on foot and even by swimming, as they will cross the Strait of Messina. After reaching the Vatican they will go to Venice where they will finally catch a plane back to Spain.

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