What we found out

Project objectives Tweet

The monitored project concerns the recovery and enhancement of the Amphitheater of Rosarno, an archaeological site of great historical relevance located in our belovede regional area, Calabria. The main objective of the project is to improve the conservation and use of the amphitheater, making it accessible to the public and promoting cultural and tourist activities in our territory.

Il monitoraggio è importante perché il sito rappresenta un patrimonio storico e culturale significativo per la regione e per l’intero paese. La sua valorizzazione consente non solo la conservazione di un importante monumento, ma anche lo sviluppo del turismo culturale, che può portare benefici economici e sociali alla comunità locale. Inoltre, il recupero di tale sito contribuisce alla preservazione della memoria storica e alla promozione della cultura nel sud Italia.

Gli obiettivi principali del progetto sono:
Conservazione e restauro dell'Anfiteatro, per garantire la sua integrità e fruibilità futura.
Valorizzazione culturale e turistica del sito, attraverso l’organizzazione di eventi, visite guidate e altre attività che ne promuovano la conoscenza.
Accessibilità e inclusività, rendendo il sito fruibile a un pubblico ampio, compresi persone con disabilità.
Sostenibilità nel lungo periodo, tramite l’implementazione di politiche di gestione che assicurino la cura del sito anche dopo il completamento del progetto.

Foreseen activities

Throughout the project, a monitoring system of the activities is planned, to verify the effectiveness and adequacy of the interventions, with periodic reports. Cultural activities such as exhibitions, theatrical events, concerts and guided tours will be promoted, in order to encourage the flow of tourists and stimulate the interest of the community. Effective start of the project: 29/05/2013 - Effective end: 26/11/2015. Activity of our monitoring project started in November 2024 and will end in May 2025

Project origin

Our monitoring project for the recovery and enhancement of the Rosarno Amphitheatre has developed surfing the public OpenCoesione website, an open government initiative on cohesion policy in Italy with a view to promoting the effectiveness of interventions through the publication of data on the projects funded and broad civic participation. This project aims to preserve and enhance the amphitheatre, an important archaeological site, improving its accessibility and promoting cultural and tourist activities to stimulate the economic and social development of the region.
In the design process, several parties were involved, including the municipal administration of Rosarno, the Archaeological Superintendence, the Ministry of Culture, research institutions, local cultural and tourist associations. These actors worked together to ensure the conservation of the site and the creation of an adequate tourist offer. The involvement of the local community was ensured through public meetings and consultations to gather opinions and suggestions, as well as moments of co-design to define cultural and tourist activities.

However, some groups of people may have been excluded from the project definition, such as people with disabilities, young people and marginalized communities. It is essential that such projects involve all social groups to ensure that the benefits are distributed equitably and that the needs of each group are taken into account.

Beneficiaries

The project will provide opportunities for learning, cultural awareness and direct involvement, both through educational activities and organised events. In addition, training courses for young people could be developed, with a focus on archaeology, culture and management of cultural heritage.
The local community will benefit from the improvement of cultural heritage, which can increase civic pride and a sense of belonging. Furthermore, increased tourism and cultural activities can stimulate the local economy, creating job opportunities and developing the service sector.
The administrations managing the site and the cultural policies of the region will benefit from the valorisation of a historical site, increasing the tourist reputation of the area and improving the overall cultural offer.
Although the project brings many benefits to the local community and visitors, it is essential that the needs of all social categories are taken into account, especially the most vulnerable or marginalised. To avoid that some people remain excluded, continuous monitoring of inclusiveness and the adoption of active policies that guarantee equal participation for all are necessary.

Context

The project for the recovery and enhancement of the Rosarno Amphitheatre was born in response to a series of needs of the territory, which fully justify its funding. The site, despite being of great historical and cultural value, was in a state of degradation that limited its usability and tourist potential. The territory of Rosarno, like many areas of southern Italy, has a strong need to recover its archaeological heritage and develop sustainable tourism that can give new impetus to the local economy. The enhancement of the amphitheatre therefore responds to the need to conserve a cultural asset of importance, to improve its accessibility, and to stimulate local identity through cultural activities that can involve the community and attract visitors.

Furthermore, the project is part of a broader context of regional and national initiatives. It can be complementary to the Strategy for Internal Areas (SNAI), which aims to support less developed areas and counter phenomena such as youth emigration, promoting activities that favor social integration and economic development, such as cultural tourism. Furthermore, it is part of regional plans for the enhancement of cultural heritage that, through targeted investments, intend to improve infrastructure and tourism in Calabria. The project also complements other interventions for the recovery of archaeological sites in the region, helping to create a network of cultural attractions that strengthen the tourist image of Calabria. A great interest has been shown by our Erasmus+ partners we have hosted, given that our school has been managing more than 13 Erasmus+ projects, and we are going to be in contact with othr internationa partners with the support of the Calabria Region.

Progress

The project has been successfully implemented with the primary goal of assessing and preserving the amphitheater’s condition. Data collection has been completed through detailed surveys, architectural analysis, and the use of advanced technologies like LiDAR and drone-based imaging. These methods have provided accurate documentation of the current state of the structure.
Monitoring efforts are ongoing to detect shifts or further deterioration in the structure. Collaboration with local authorities and experts has enhanced the overall effectiveness of the project.
The next phase includes further sections, the introduction of more sophisticated monitoring tools, and continued public outreach to raise awareness about the site’s importance. In the future the open theatre ( as the mayor decided to call it, as far as its structure), new activities will be performed i.e. Greek tragedies, comedies and other relevant events.

Results

The results achieved in the monitored project of the Rosarno Amphitheater include the successful implementation of a detailed monitoring system that has provided valuable insights into the structural health of the site. The project has also established a reliable framework for continuous monitoring, ensuring future interventions can be based on up-to-date information thanks to new funds to be received by the Government.

Risks

Without sustained financial support, the preservation work might slow down progress or leaving areas unaddressed.
Changes in local political priorities or governance could result in reduced attention or resources allocated to the preservation of the amphitheater. Additionally, conflicting cultural interests or lack of local support for the project may hinder efforts to maintain or restore the site.
The current technologies employed may not be able to fully capture every aspect of the amphitheater’s condition, leading to incomplete or inaccurate data. As the project progresses, new challenges might arise as new monitoring methods are developed, and older technologies may need to be replaced.

Investigation method

How was the information collected?

• Web research
• Visit to the project's location, documented by pictures or videos
• Interview with people responsible for the project's planning
• Interview with other types of people
• Interview with people responsible for the project's implementation
• Interview with political leaders

The mayor of the municipality of Rosarno: Mr Pasquale Cutrì who was elected in 2024 after a difficult period since the municipality was governed by the Commissione Prefettizia (An external assessing entity);
The manager of the ASD Rosarnese: Mrs Antonella Naso who has been giving us a great support.

Main questions

Question for the mayor Mr Pasquale Cutrì:
"So, what are the future projects of the open-air theater?"
Question for the manager Mrs. Antonella Naso:
"What kind of events have been taking place in the amphitheater?"

Main answers

Answer n. 1:
I am pleased that you pointed out “open-air theater”, this theater was entrusted to an association, a public bench was made, and this association won, it was awarded the management of the theater. So it is something that no longer depends on the municipality but directly on this association. Of course, we as an administration must be a stimulus and we must also accept your advice and your proposals on what needs to be done. What is my
idea? to organize, as in Syracuse, where there is a large open-air theater, tragedies, Greek tragedies, and perhaps organize an international competition as is done, in the large open-air theaters that we also have in Italy, which would be a reason for attraction, a reason to attract visitors, a reason to make our city a city where culture is truly created, but rightly, the associations must participate, the schools, the parishes, all the activities, all the cultural associations that exist in Rosarno must participate, but apart from the Greek tragedies, there you can also organize comedies, you can organize light music shows, cabaret shows. it is a place where you can organize shows, you can also organize poetry recitals, school plays, book presentations, everything that is interesting for our community, everything that can give prestige to our community because our city is truly a beautiful city.
Answer n. 2 given by Mrs Antonella Naso:
we have been lucky enough to do many events in these years in the amphitheater, both for schools that have used it to use it as a theater for the end of the school year and also for dance schools, they have done end-of-year recitals and also other small events such as concerts and other events.