Participatory Cultural and Economic Initiatives for the Revitalization of the Lombardy Mountains
Presentation of the initial findings of the interdisciplinary research project by the Department of Humanities at IULM University in Milan
On Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., in Room 137 of the IULM 1 Building, the preliminary results of the two-year project (2026–2027) “Participatory Cultural and Productive Pathways for the Regeneration of the Lombardy Mountains” will be presented. The project is funded by the Department of Humanities at IULM University and coordinated by Prof. Monica Morazzoni.
Faced with the challenges of climate change, geographers, anthropologists, philosophers, philologists, linguists, and experts in visual and digital studies are exploring which aspects of mountain heritage to highlight in light of the rise of new forms of tourism and leisure. In dialogue with local communities and institutions, the decision was made to help highlight the mining heritage of the Lombard Alps: approximately 300 abandoned sites and an unknown number of related buildings and infrastructure, the memory of which risks being lost—in part due to negative associations linked to occupational diseases. The project aims to connect these mining sites through a route that combines a leisurely exploration of the territory with an understanding of the valleys’ mining history.
In the first year, the research group worked in Val Camonica, Val di Scalve, Val Seriana, Val del Riso, and Valsassina, conducting mapping, site visits, and working groups, and distributed a questionnaire among the communities. It also conducted interviews with local officials, mine owners, former miners, scholars, and local enthusiasts, which were compiled into a documentary video that will be screened in a preview.
Following the opening remarks by the Vice Rector for Research, Prof. Giovanna Rocca; the interim Director of the Department of Humanities, Prof. Emilio Mazza; and the project coordinator, Prof. Monica Morazzoni, representatives from the field (mayors, city council members, department heads, hoteliers, mining site managers, associations, and ecomuseums) from Castione della Presolana, Pisogne, Colere, Gorno, and Primaluna will speak. This will be followed by a screening of the documentary video “Sottosopra. Between Valleys and Mines.” The event will conclude with remarks by Sara Belotti (geographer at the University of Milan), Giacomo Pozzi (anthropologist at IULM University), Gabriele Baldassarre (mining engineer at the Polytechnic University of Turin), and Giovanni Baiocchetti ( geographer at IULM University).
Download the event flyer here