Paesaggi Sentimentali

How can knowledge of a local area be transformed into a resource for its residents? This question is the starting point for Paesaggi sentimentali, an initiative developed by the Riusiamo l’Italia Foundation to support young people who choose to invest in their communities through culture, social innovation, and the revitalization of abandoned or neglected spaces. This approach focuses not only on places, but also on the people, skills, and relationships that can breathe new life into them.

At its core is the idea that many cultural and social projects are born out of enthusiasm and talent, but struggle to become economically sustainable. Paesaggi sentimentali - "Sentimental Landscapes” works precisely on this transition, offering methods and tools to help local initiatives evolve and strengthen the relationships between a place and the ecosystem surrounding it. Technology becomes a tool for gathering and sharing knowledge about the territory, while participation helps bring to light resources, assets, and possibilities that are often hidden.

The result is a different vision of development, in which young people need spaces and spaces need ideas. Community hubs, cultural enterprises, and local organizations can become hubs capable of fostering new relationships and generating value for the territory through forms of relational economy and collaboration. From this perspective, the “sentimental landscape” is not merely what is observed, but what a community knows, builds, and brings to life: a landscape made up of people and possibilities, in constant evolution.