Even the youngest local residents got involved to regenerate a multipurpose play area in Via Mare next to the archaeological site
Radio Siani
Heritage as a shared responsibility
Meetings to discuss local needs shaped the urban regeneration of residential areas neighbouring the site
Herculaneum Conservation Project
Oral history research has revealed the knowledge held of the previous generation of local site workers and stimulated contributions from local community members who felt marginalised
Herculaneum Conservation Project
Herculaneum enjoys the contribution of various volunteer groups and local associations. Work is underway to consolidate a network among them
Parco Archeologico di Ercolano
The local heritage authority is consolidating the special relationship formed in recent times with the local residents in Via Mare
Parco Archeologico di Ercolano
As the public-private partnership improved approaches to conservation, it became clear that the challenges being faced on site were affected by its wider context. It was vital to recognise the Vesuvian area and wider socio-economic dynamics, as a source of opportunities, not threats, that could reinforce site management. Heritage was increasingly viewed as a shared responsibility.
A key initiative was the Herculaneum Centre, a non-profit association founded by the heritage authority, the municipality and a research institute to consolidate a network of local, national and international partners. For 5 years, it implemented an activity programme focused on stimulating new types of involvement in Ercolano’s heritage. The capacity to work with others was enhanced within institutions and civil society through research networks, community projects and a variety of learning environments.
The trust of local partners created conditions, unimaginable ten years earlier, for the regeneration of a difficult urban district adjacent to the archaeological site known as Via Mare.
With the Centre’s programme completed, this tradition of cooperation has been taken forward by Herculaneum’s new heritage authority, supported by the Packard foundation and other partners.
Many initiatives, including the Centre and Via Mare, built upon the early efforts of team members of the Herculaneum Conservation Project. Positive results from linking up with ongoing local initiatives and building bridges between realities operating separately began to shape long-term strategies for management of the site and the setting.
From 2004 onwards, a series of reforms in Italian legislation have created more opportunities for traditionally rigid and closed public heritage authorities to work effectively with others.
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The creation of an initial partnership acted as a catalyst for many more, ending up in an extensive and self-sustaining network. In Ercolano, some of the vibrant panorama of local associations and cooperatives created in the past two decades can be directly linked to the 5 intensive years of the Herculaneum Centre, and initiatives since to consolidate that progress. The emphasis on new forms of interaction at heritage places continues to be vital.
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Reaching outside of the site resulted in greater benefits for Herculaneum in terms of political and social support for its conservation, additional resources and inclusion in strategic programming.
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A public heritage institution must have in its mandate the concept of ‘working with others’ even if this is not yet captured in legislative and institutional frameworks. A public heritage institution genuinely carries out its purpose by empowering contributions from – and benefits to – a wider network of local, national and international actors.