Fondazione Cariplo's decade of cultural district strategies in Lombardy

Fondazione Cariplo has spent ten years developing a model for preserving and reactivating Italy's historic villages (borghi), moving from static restoration to dynamic, process-based conservation. The foundation established six Cultural Districts in Lombardy—Valtellina, Monza e Brianza, Cremona, Val Camonica, Reggae dei Gonzaga, and Oltrepò mantovano—linking heritage sites with local economic and social networks. In 2017, it launched Attiv-aree, an intersectoral program focusing on functional conservation, seismic risk prevention, and ordinary maintenance before emergencies. Two projects under Attiv-aree are Oltrepò Pavese Biodiverso and Valli Resilienti. The Val Camonica district, the first UNESCO site in Italy, includes Bienno and Lovere. In Lovere, small interventions like pedestrianization and urban stitching led to accreditation as one of Italy's most beautiful villages. In Valli Resilienti, the Nonsolobar in Laverone, run by disadvantaged youth with cooperative Co.ge.ss., became a community hub and expanded to a solidarity hostel, collaborating with Airbnb. In Rebecco, a rural site will become a Center for Valorization and Development of Rural Culture, hosting Domus Academy's Urban Vision & Architectural Design. Filippo Tantillo of SNAI stresses that village requalification must fit into a national urban plan using existing regulations.