The Italian culture ministry has
presented a strategic project to valorise historic villages up
and down the country as part of initiatives to mark the Year of
the Hamlet this year.
'Borghi - Viaggio Italiano' involves approximately 1,000
villages in 18 regions, which have been brought together in an
interactive website.
The project is being coordinated by the culture ministry with
the region of Emilia Romagna as the leading proponent.
The idea is to work with local associations to highlight the
unique identities of the individual hamlets, many of which are
relevant to the country's tourist industry.
This is in line with the operating model envisaged by the
national tourism plan currently before the cabinet for final
approval, which involves collaboration between local
organisations, sector operators and the government.
However, the hamlets and their communities also want to look
to the future, laying claim to their role as centres of
innovation and social regeneration according to an authentic
'Italian way of life'.
For this reason, requalification must involve repopulating
these ancient urban centres so that their inhabitants might
become the emblem of the local artistic, cultural, gastronomic,
artisanal and entrepreneurial traditions.
The project reserves a special place for the 'Hamlets of the
heart', places affected by the recent earthquakes in Lazio,
Umbria, Marche and Abruzzo, which will see targeted action to
stimulate a different kind of tourism in collaboration with
cooperatives, associations and start-ups run by young people to
relaunch the local economy.
Earthquake-stricken municipalities will also receive
approximately 4 million euros of public money for live
performances and cultural activities.
The project also aims to create synergies with big art cities
such as Rome, Florence and Venice, using these as a 'gateway' to
the smaller villages in view of creating alternative tourist
itineraries.
"There is an urgent need to multiply the places of attraction
in order to develop a form of tourism that is cultured and
intelligent, and the hamlets need to become a national
challenge," Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said.
photo: Oriolo Romano
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