PROMOTING LOCAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2020-11-24

From 2014 a reform of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage proclaimed the technical and financial independence of 30 ‘cultural sites, established new local departments appointed with the organization of non-independent museums and left to the Soprintendenze, that are normally charged with preservation tasks, ‘less important’ archaeological areas. Within this framework, we fight every day to promote an archaeological heritage that has its own historical relevance as well as a local economic and social interest. The aim of this paper is to introduce you to the case study of Montegrotto archaeological areas. These three areas were adjusted for public enjoyment thanks to a project developed by Padova University together with the Soprintendenza (which is also the owner of the sites) and the City of Montegrotto. Two main problems arose, strictly connected to financial assets: maintenance and management of the three adjusted archaeological areas. Maintenance is provided by means of public funds paid by the Ministry. They are both ordinary funds, which are quite meagre and not a fixed sum, and extraordinary ones, requested and obtained for specific needs, which usually are represented by emergency situations. Management of the three areas is provided by a cultural association of professional archaeologists, chosen by means of a public announcement of selection. This association guarantees the ordinary public enjoyment of the areas and also organizes special openings and festivals for the promotion of the sites. The association is funded by the visitors’ offerings.During the conference the spokesmen of the association will explain the fund-raising activities they undertook, with more or less success, and they will report on the economic means they adopted in management of the site. The many obstacles faced during the years in promoting these sites brought us to elaborate a more wide-range project.


Author(s): Bressan, Marianna (Ministero dei beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo - Italia)