Italy promotes cultural heritage and territorial regeneration

Italy is seeing a diverse range of cultural and territorial revitalization initiatives. In Campania, the transformation of illegal sand quarries into the Nabi Natural Oasis and glamping resort demonstrates successful environmental regeneration. Meanwhile, the phenomenon of ‘roots tourism’ is gaining momentum, targeting the estimated 60 to 80 million descendants of Italian emigrants, a movement that generates over 5 billion euros in annual direct spending and helps combat the depopulation of small villages.

Community engagement is also driving heritage preservation through the FAI ‘Luoghi del Cuore’ census, where citizens vote to protect local landscapes and monuments. Currently, the Lame di Puglia and the Grotte rupestri di Verzino are among the top-voted sites.

In Naples, the State Archives are launching the ‘Aperti per voi’ project in collaboration with the Touring Club Italiano. Starting in September, this initiative will offer free guided tours of the Pizzofalcone site and the Santi Severino e Sossio complex to increase public access to historical and cultural assets.