Project
TheRout_Net is a strategic project funded by the Interreg V-A Greece-Italy 2014/2020 Programme that aims to promote thematic tourism across Greece and Italy through the valorisation of cultural and historical itineraries and routes characterized by a slow fruition, through a complex action plan of material and immaterial interventions, favouring the tourism seasonal adjustment in the cross-border area.
OBJECTIVES
TheRout_Net aims to restore old facilities and important cultural monuments in Greece and Puglia, develop and promote thematic tourism by exploiting the existing natural and cultural resources and enrich tourism products and services.
In particular, TheRout_Net will:
- Focus on the preservation, promotion, re-use and integrated utilization of significant building stock and natural resource development infrastructures;
- Promote thematic tourism, sustainability and seasonal adjustment within the cross-border area;
- Brand building techniques to enhance the endogenous potential in a sustainable way aiming to attract new visitors.
ACTIONS
The project will support the restoration of important cultural monuments and old facilities, located in strategic positions, aiming to create and valorise thematic tourism and thematic routes by:
- Exploiting the existing natural and cultural cross-border resources;
- Identifying and assessing cross-border assets and drawbacks;
- Establishing a cross-border Joint Brand Strategy;
- Upgrading the quality of cross-border tourism accommodation;
- Disseminating outcomes to attract new target groups from the global tourism demand.
Partners
The Region of Epirus is one of the 13 elected decentralized Regional Authorities of Greece with the power to implement the National Development Policy at regional level. The Region of Epirus is divided into 4 Regional Units (Ioannina, Thesprotia, Arta and Preveza).
Among the main competences of the Region are the planning and coordination of the regional policy and development, the protection of the environment, infrastructures development in transportation, agriculture & water resources management and the development of trans-regional and transnational cooperation.
The Region of Epirus is located in the northwestern part of Greece lying between the Pindus Mountain Range and the Ionian Sea.
Its mountainous landscapes and its unique geographical location make Epirus an area of outstanding natural beauty, astonishingly combining endless coastline and mountainous scenery and an important emerging tourist destination.
Additionally, after the two recently constructed major motorways (Egnatia Odos &Ionia Odos) and the upgrade of Igoumenitsa Port and the Airport of Ionnina it constitutes an important gateway to the Balkans and Western Europe.
Region of Western Greece: The Region of Western Greece (RWG) is a second level local government. It represents an area of around 700.000 inhabitants, divided in 3 regional divisions (Ilia, Achaia and Aitoloakarnania) and 19 municipalities, while it produces about 5% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
The Regional Authority of Western Greece counts more than 800 employees, spread in 22 Directorates and 2 Special Services: the Intermediate Managing Authority, which is responsible for the implementation of the Regional Operational Programme, and the Regional Development Fund, which is the funding body of it.
The latter also has a special department for the implementation of European projects and other networking activities.
Among the strongest points of the Region of Western Greece are its Higher Education and Research Organizations, which have shown exceptionally important research and development (R&D) activities.
In addition, the Region of Western Greece presents a medium to satisfactory percentage of innovative enterprises. Western Greece is quickly becoming one of the top tourism destinations in Greece.
The emergence new hotel units and new investments in the area have strengthened the local economy and are currently changing the overall profile of economic activity.
The Region of Ionian Islands – Regional Unit of Kefallinia is the owner of a property known as “Lavraga Grove”, which is located within the plan of the settlement Razata, M.U. Argostoli – Municipality of Argostoli land area 18,709.97 sq.m . .
In this property there is a ruined building and an underground tank. This building was designated as a historical preserved monument by a Decision of the Ministry of Culture, as it was the summer residence of the composer Dionysios Lavragas and is a reference point directly connected to the intellectual and cultural heritage of the place.
Dionysios Lavragas (1860 – 1941) was a Greek composer which belonged to the so-called Ionian Music School, although many also classify him to the national music school. He is considered the founder of Greek melodrama. His compositional work consisted mainly of symphonic music, melodramas as well as songs, mostly serenades. He composed works for violin, piano, catholic mass and chants of mass. He is also considered one of the first composers to incorporate elements of Greek folk music in their work. The reclaim of the “Lavraga Grove” has existed over time in the plans of the local self-government bodies (each of the Municipality or the Region) and although efforts had been made, they did not bear fruit. The Ionian Islands Region, answering to this constant request, included the reclaim of the “Lavraga Grove” in the project entitled “TheRoute_Net” in the framework of the territorial cooperation program Interreg VA Greece – Italy 2014-2020 which will include:
a) Construction of an open theater with the facilities that will serve it, perfectly harmonized with the cultural value of the property and in accordance with the decision to declare it a monument to be preserved by the Ministry of Culture.
b) Landscaping of place with the creation of access corridors with special care to the trees as they have become protected in parallel with the building that has been designated a monument. In addition, a car park will be created and a fence will be constructed with the preserved entrance gate properly adapted to the central idea of reuse.
c) The restoration and reuse of the farmhouse of the composer Lavragas as a Cultural Center which was developed on three levels (basement, ground floor and first floor) and has been designated as a protected monument.
The Ephorate of Antiquities of Achaea is one of the regional departments under the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, which functions under the supervision of the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Culture and Sports.
The main organization’s mission is the safeguard and protection of local heritage, the conservation, reconstruction, study and publication of the monuments as well as the administrative duty to assure the observance of the legislative decrees concerning the antiquities.
The Ephorate has implemented over 40 projects related to the consolidaton, restoration, conservation and enhancement of archeological sites and monuments, not only co-funded by the E.E. but also funded by national budget as well as sponsors and the church.
The Department is responsible of the regional development and execution of tourism policies, strategies and action plans (Regional Master Plan of Tourism: Puglia 365, Regional Master Plan for Culture PIIIL).
It is responsible for ROP Puglia 2014-20, specific objectives that concern valorization of cultural heritage (museums, archaeological sites, libraries) and support to cultural activities.
The Department is in charge with specific functions such as:
valorisation of artistic, historic and architectural heritage; touristic valorisation;
territorial cooperation in these fields;
promotion of culture and cultural events;
increasing the attractivity of Puglia sites and carrying on territorial marketing policies.
It is the most important example in southern Italy of growth of sustainable tourism and it is responsible of Italian Regions for the IV Pillar Tourism in Macroregion Adriatic Ionian strategy.
