Gal director takes stock of projects
Palamenghi: the new challenges ahead in the Sicans.
And on Agrigento Capital of Culture: “An opportunity not to be missed.”
Sicans are preparing for the challenge of Agrigento Capital of Culture. And, in the meantime, in Aragona they take stock of what has been done so far and look to the future, full of new projects and other challenges.
“Sicani in network. From quality rural district to excellence in sustainable experiential tourism,” was the theme of the meeting organized by Sicani Villages. An opportunity to reflect on what has already been done and on the new projects of the network that brings together twenty-nine municipalities and 602 companies in a vast area that ranges from the golden beaches overlooking the Sicilian Channel, to the Sicani Mountains. A world waiting to be explored, with a generous nature and rich in age-old traditions and genuine flavors.
A model that is beginning to set the standard, as witnessed by the interest of two Polish Local Action Groups (LAGs) traveling to Sicily specifically to study what is being done in the Sicani in the area of relational and experiential tourism. An approach, that of Sicani Villages, which focuses on the importance of teamwork, and which is being declined in projects such as, for example, the Sicani Rural Quality District, a collective brand for the promotion of the territory’s excellence .
Summing up the path taken so far by the network was Gal Sicani director Angelo Palamenghi. “We have acted on different levels,” Palamenghi said. “First, we have put public bodies and tourism promotion associations in communication, involving at least three, four for each municipality; then, we have created business networks in tourism and agribusiness, favoring the short supply chain and zero kilometer; and we have focused on training and information.
A path that, along the way, has also allowed spaces closed for years to be returned to citizens: “There are thirty-four,” Palamenghi recalls, “public real estate assets that have returned to use once again.
And, now, the adventure continues. The Sicans are preparing for new challenges, possible thanks to European funds planned for programming from 2024 to 2030. Future projects include the creation of creative communities with the activation of a Sican museum network; creative start-ups and food communities. Always great attention to educational activities in schools, to know from an early age their territory and its potential.
“Now,” says Palamenghi, “it is important to be prepared for the big event of Agrigento Capital of Culture. It is a chance not to be missed, a wonderful opportunity that can become a further springboard for all Sicans. We all need to work together, well and in synergy, right away: 2025 is just around the corner.”
Text by Angela Mannino
