EXPLORING EU PROJECTS AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE IN THE VALLEY OF ABBEYS, PROVINCE OF TERAMO
Date: October 2, 2024
Places: Valley of Abbeys of the province of Teramo (Cellino Attanasio, Montegualtieri tower, Abbey of San Clemente, Abbey of Santa Maria di Propezzano – IT)
Presentation of the two projects financed by the Creative Europe program:
- Project Revive Urban regeneration through cultural and creative industries.
- Tramontana IV Project: Collect, catalog, and disseminate the intangible cultural heritage of rural and mountain territories.
On 2 October 2024, the associations LEM-Italy and ITACA for Local Development successfully hosted a delegation of Norwegian university students for a workshop that explored two impactful projects funded by the Creative Europe program. These projects are dedicated to significantly enhancing both local intangible and tangible heritage.
The meeting in the Province of Teramo was a critical platform for discussing the design and management of initiatives aimed at documenting and valorizing local intangible heritage (Tramontana) and promoting urban regeneration and cultural industries (REVIVE). Participants engaged in a productive dialogue about how these two projects can effectively collaborate within the community, merging oral traditions with the material heritage represented by public buildings, squares, churches, and neglected structures. These sites have the potential to be revitalized through dynamic local engagement initiatives.
The workshop was carried out through the following actions:
- Interaction with students to discuss the similarities and differences between the experiences of urban and cultural regeneration in the Nordic countries and Italy.
- Comparison with similar projects in Norway and other European countries, focusing on enhancing and regenerating urban heritage through culture and art.
- Co-creation activity: creating a small symbolic project (e.g., drawings, sketches, or ideas) for the regeneration of an area of the local territory
- Guided tour with a local expert on the historical and cultural heritage of the abbeys.
- Explain how these abbeys are integrated into the context of the Tramontana IV project and the importance of collecting and cataloging rural areas’ intangible heritage.
- Discussion on local traditions, intangible culture, and their importance for the future of European rural territories.
The objectives pursued through these actions were: inform participants about the EU-funded projects Revive and Tramontana IV; promote intercultural dialogue and discussion on urban regeneration and cultural heritage enhancement; actively involve students in co-creation activities and shared reflection on European rural areas’ cultural and intangible heritage.