On a journey between history and culture: the initiative of Acri and the Cariplo Foundation is underway

On a journey between history and culture. From the north to the islands, passing through 11 regions of Italy, with the aim of promoting the paths as spaces of participation, sustainability and collective identity. This is the objective of "Paesaggio che vai. Walks of Italy to make community", the new experimental initiative that combines landscape protection and local development, promoted by 12 foundations belonging to Acri (the organization that brings together banking foundations and savings banks) and coordinated by the Cariplo Foundation.

«Paesaggio che vai is an experiment that focuses on the paths as a cultural and landscape heritage and as an expression of the communities that live and pass through them – underlines Donatella Pieri, president of the Cultural Heritage and Activities Commission of Acri. – It is also a concrete example of the value of the system projects promoted by Acri, which offer Foundations the opportunity to share experiences, skills and resources, going beyond the borders of individual territories to work together on a national dimension". The project develops «in a common path, which enhances local specificities and the role of communities in the care and promotion of the paths».

In addition to the Cariplo Foundation, the Cassa di Risparmio della Spezia Foundation, Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo Foundation, Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation, Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia Foundation, Cassa di Risparmio di Torino Foundation, Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, Foundation with the South, Monte di Bologna and Ravenna Foundation, Modena Foundation, Sardegna Foundation, Varrone Cassa di Risparmio di Rieti Foundation participate.

The 20 paths identified by the project range from Lombardy to Piedmont, from Emilia Romagna to Tuscany, from Liguria to Lazio, from Sardinia to Campania, from Basilicata to Puglia to Calabria. The twenty routes involved in the experimentation are: the Cammino di Oropa della Pace, the Via Francigena between Valle di Susa and Northern Tuscany, the Strade dei Forti and the AltraVia in Piedmont; the Via dei Monti CAI La Spezia in Liguria, the Via dei Sensi, the Via dei Deci and the Cammino Tre Laghi in Lombardy; the Salt Road, from Lombardy to Liguria; the Via Vandelli, the Via del Fantini, the Bologna Montana Art Trail and the Romea Strata - Along the Nonantolana in Emilia Romagna; the Camino di San Jacopo in Tuscany; the Cammino del Salto in Lazio; the Camino di San Nilo in the Merkourion in Campania; the Santa Barbara Mining Route in Sardinia; the Cammino Materano between Basilicata and Puglia; the Cammino di San Francesco di Paola and the Cammino Kalabria coast to coast in Calabria.

The third sector bodies managing or co-managing the paths, accompanied by the Cammini d'Italia team of experts, have defined valorization projects with an indicative value of approximately 20,000 euros each. The interventions concern, depending on the case, the valorisation of the cultural and landscape heritage, the involvement of communities, territorial animation and the improvement of accessibility and services aimed at travellers.