The path CoEUR was created in the late 1990s, when information about Saint Charles Borromeo's trips in the northern Piedmont was discovered, leading to the initiation of the Path of Saint Charles (Cammino di San Carlo) between Arona, the town where the Archbishop was born, and Viverone, the town where the Via Francigena passes through the province of Biella.
In its ideal prosecution, the path reaches Einsiedeln Abbey connecting the Via Francigena with the Camino de Santiago in its Swiss section, named Via Jacobi.
Twelve stages connect Arona with the Via Francigena in Viverone, passing by three Sacri Monti and many sanctuaries of the Verbano, Cusio and Biellese territories.
In the early 20th century the Centovalli railway was built in order to develop commerce and nowadays it is a major tourist attraction.
This path includes the Santuario della Madonna del Sangue in Re, a destination of many pilgrimages from the neighbourhood, halfway between the Ossola valley and Lake Maggiore.