Tourism and culture have always been a combination of great potential for Italy, where the number of visitors linked to sites of historical and artistic interest is constantly growing. This is particularly important for the South of Italy, considering the positive impact in terms of wealth creation and employment.
To take advantage of this trend, a small community of 3,500 inhabitants in the province of Catanzaro has invested in its archaeological park. The town is named Tiriolo, situated at the narrowest point of the Calabrian peninsula from where it’s possible to see both the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas, and for this reason it’s nicknamed the “village of the two seas”.
With a historic city centre that’s considered one of the most beautiful in Calabria, the municipality is home to the Gianmartino archaeological area, currently covering about 100 square metres. The administration is implementing a project to expand the park and improve the visitor experience. Working closely with researchers from Italian and foreign universities, a much larger area of 1,000 square metres will be excavated, the artefacts found restored, and a new educational space created.
The goal is to bring the buried archaeological remains to light and regenerate a portion of the urban fabric that is currently in a state of neglect. In this way it will be possible to create a cultural tourism hub consisting of the site, the existing archaeological museum, the historic city centre and the castle.