The activities of the “Turismo delle Radici” project begin in the municipalities of Rocca San Giovanni, Frisa and San Vito Chietino, which are in fact part of the 45 municipalities which, through the financing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maeci), for the region Abruzzo are interested in and want to represent more than 80 million Italian-descendants and Italians living abroad in a structured and in-depth way (of which approximately 1.3 million are from Abruzzo), inviting them to discover the places and traditions of their origins.
The project was announced by Maeci and culminated with the creation of the “Italea” brand, developed in an original way by each Italian region through the coordination activity carried out by associations, cultural enterprises, start-ups and other legal personalities founded for the ‘occasion. For the Abruzzo region, the reference group is the “La Visceglia” APS. The Italea project (Italea Abruzzo for our territory) provides a set of tourist services – itineraries, workshops, advantages, discounts – to facilitate travel in Italy, thanks to the work of a dense network of professionals who in every region of Italy will have care to inform, welcome and assist ‘roots travellers’.
2024 is the year of raising awareness among local communities and actors in the tourism-cultural system, during which Italea aims to create the largest and most professional team possible to best enhance our beloved land.
Two of the main tools made available by Maeci and Italea Abruzzo are a dedicated website and the Italea card. The first is a highly professional web platform (italeaabruzzo.com), multilingual, which allows all potential roots travelers to request services such as genealogical research (matrilineal, patrilineal or complete family trees from 1400 onwards) and personalized itineraries for their next or first stay in Abruzzo; or deepen your knowledge of the migratory theme and of Abruzzo through a section dedicated to the stories of Italian descendants who have undertaken the journey of roots, related publications such as the various editions of the “Guide to Italian roots” and photo-textual contents that describe activities traditional events, events and curiosities of our region that can attract and excite even more the Italian-descendants of Abruzzo. The greater the degree of involvement of the Municipalities, associations and categories mentioned above, the more complete and captivating the overall image of the project will be beyond our national borders.
The second tool is dof fundamental importance both for commercial activities and for potential travellers. Italea card is, in fact, an international platform for the promotion of national trade (also in a physical version to be given to travelers on their first trip with the Italea brand) aimed at all commercial activities through which registered companies will be able to promote themselves free of charge and provide discounts, concessions and services of all kinds. These can be accommodation facilities, restaurants, wineries, craft shops, transport companies, car rentals, associations that deal with events and culture and many other activities that allow the traditional traveler to live an unforgettable experience.
In addition to strengthening the bond with Italian communities abroad, Italea aims to promote a model of sustainable, responsible and accessible tourism, for the valorization of small municipalities and all those areas which, both in the past and today, suffer from depopulation due to migratory flows.
ACTIVITIES PLANNED IN THE CALENDAR
Participation in the Maeci call will give the opportunity to promote the most important religious and non-religious anniversaries in Italy and abroad, creating new documentary material to be shared with all the people of Abruzzo in the world and which will also be historical material for the local generations present and futures; concerts with great guests, exponents of Abruzzo music and new and innovative activities designed specifically for the traveler with roots but which will be extendable to all Abruzzo residents curious to delve deeper into their origins.
Here are the events planned for summer 2024, which will flow into the ReLive Abruzzo Festival: 12 July, Rocca San Giovanni: craftsmanship and sustainability workshops and concert “New languages for FP Tosti” (in collaboration with the Istituto Nazionale Tostiano and the Saint Louis Music College of Rome); 19 July Rocca San Giovanni: meeting with Orlando Bellisario author of the book “Dai Trabocchi alla Loire” celebrating the twinning between Rocca San Giovanni and Chaingy (France); 20 July Frisa: craftsmanship and sustainability workshops; 21 July Sant’Apollinare: tour of Sant’Apollinare with tasting of local products; 3 August Frisa: popular dance workshop by the Interamnia World Music of Teramo and followed by the concert of the “Orchestra popular del trovallo”, more than fifteen artists including musicians and dancers for an evening dedicated to the popular music of Abruzzo; finally 8 August Sant’Apollinare: preparation and tasting workshop for “pallotte cheese and eggs” together with the Osteria del Carcere and last but not least the concert of the “Abruzzo family choir of Rosario” together with the “Coro cantori del Golfo” and “Folk choir Saint Leonard”.
In addition, there will be space for the promotion of more or less well-known and characteristic anniversaries of the Municipalities, this year also designed to be ‘roots traveller-friendly’. Between June and July, in San Vito, we will have the patronal feast (15 June) preceded by the opening of an exhibition and a round table (14 June); other laboratory activities on the occasion of the new edition of “Terramare” (13 July); guided tours with tasting at the overflow Turchino to celebrate the Madonna del Porto (27 July).
For Rocca San Giovanni there will be the opportunity to recount in a renewed way anniversaries such as the “Christ of the Abyss”, the feast of the patron saint San Matteo Apostolo and the feast of San Pio da Pietralcina; as well as events that bring together craftsmanship and good food such as “Gustano…Rocca San Giovanni”. Finally, in Frisa, the communities of Italian descendants will be invited to special anniversaries such as the Madonna del Popolo, San Mauro, San Filippo, the Madonna delle Grazie, the great feast of the patron saint San Pantaleone (27 July), “Chalices of stars” and the “New Oil Festival”.
“Italea Abruzzo and the municipal administrations of Rocca San Giovanni, Frisa and San Vito – concludes the note – wish to invite all entities and people potentially interested in being part of the Roots Tourism project to contact their municipality or Italea Abruzzo . It will be possible to organize meetings to share studies, materials, contacts, ideas to be implemented in the next few months or future-proof in the next few years and join the Italea Abruzzo team. We hope for many new moments like today’s, from the greatest possible number of municipalities in the Abruzzo region and not only from those who are currently financed by Maeci, but also from those who have understood the importance of Italea Abruzzo and now want do your part.”
For further information: [email protected] / [email protected].
Tags: Rocca San Giovanni San Vito Frisa Tourism roots project
