WP 114 | 20 Community archaeology: the case of Scherìa cooperative community in Tiriolo (CZ) as a new reference model

Editors: Germana Scalese, Jacopo Sforzi e Ricardo Stocco

The paper analyzes how cultural assets and, more specifically, historical-archaeological assets can be a powerful driver of local development. If they are managed by the local community in which they are located through the direct participation of all its constituent actors-from citizens to local governments to private companies-it is possible to build dynamic relationship networks functional to the creation of socio-economic value around these assets. In the case of Scherìa Cooperative Community of Tiriolo (CZ), studied here, the initiative promoted by the local community took the form of the creation of a community enterprise. This led to a new approach toward the public-private management of archaeological assets, termed “Community Archaeology,” capable of combining the needs of protection and enhancement of archaeological assets as such and the opportunities for socio-economic development of the territory.