Italy Cultural Landscapes Fund: €5.8M for Heritage Tourism

Italy’s cultural landscapes are iconic: the terraced vineyards of Cinque Terre, the olive groves of Tuscany, the stone walls of Puglia. These are not just pretty views. They are living heritage—landscapes shaped by centuries of human labor, traditional knowledge, and community stewardship.

But they are under threat. Young people are leaving rural areas for cities. Traditional farming is no longer profitable. Climate change is causing landslides and droughts. And in some places, over-tourism is destroying the very beauty that attracts visitors.

The Italy Cultural Landscapes Conservation Fund is a €5.8 million initiative to save these landscapes by making them economically viable. It funds restoration projects that combine conservation with sustainable tourism and local enterprise—so that communities can make a living while protecting their heritage.

Key Details at a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers

Landscape Restoration The grant pays for physical restoration work:

• Terrace stabilization (rebuilding dry-stone walls that prevent erosion).
• Biodiversity corridors (planting native trees and hedgerows).
• Heritage agriculture (reviving traditional crops and farming methods).

Community Infrastructure The grant funds infrastructure that supports both residents and visitors:

• Visitor centers (with exhibits on local history and ecology).
• Mobility solutions (shuttle buses, bike paths, pedestrian trails).
• Cultural hubs (community centers, artisan workshops).

Local Enterprise Support The grant provides grants and training for local businesses:

• Artisans (weavers, potters, woodworkers).
• Farmers (producing heritage foods like ancient grains, rare cheeses).
• Cultural entrepreneurs (tour guides, agriturismo operators).

Monitoring and Education The grant funds:

• Citizen science (residents monitor biodiversity, water quality, etc.).
• School programs (teaching children about local heritage).
• Digital storytelling (creating virtual tours, oral history archives).

Who Should Apply

This is for Municipal Consortiums—groups of municipalities working together to manage a landscape.

Ideal Candidates:

• The Vineyard Landscape: You are a consortium of 5 municipalities in Piedmont. You manage a UNESCO World Heritage vineyard landscape. You want to restore terraces and create a “wine route” for tourists.
• The Olive Grove Landscape: You are in Puglia. You have ancient olive groves (some trees are 1,000+ years old). You want to combat Xylella disease and promote “olive tourism.”
• The Transhumance Route: You are in the Apennines. You want to restore the ancient trails used for seasonal sheep migration and create a hiking tourism circuit.

Eligibility Checklist:

• Landscape Status: Must be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a nationally listed landscape, or a candidate for such status.
• Consortium: Must be a formal consortium of at least 3 municipalities.
• Conservation Plan: Must have a regional-approved conservation master plan.
• Community Engagement: Must demonstrate resident participation in governance.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

I have worked on heritage conservation in Europe. Here is how to win this grant.

1. The “Carrying Capacity” Commitment Over-tourism is killing some of Italy’s most beautiful places. Venice, Cinque Terre, and the Amalfi Coast are overcrowded. If your proposal includes a Carrying Capacity limit—i.e., “We will cap daily visitors at 5,000”—you show you are serious about sustainability.

2. The “Resident Benefit” Requirement The grant is not just for tourists. It is for residents. Show how your project benefits locals:

• Example: “We will create 50 jobs for local youth in heritage tourism.”
• Example: “We will subsidize housing for young farmers who want to stay in the area.”

3. The “Climate Adaptation” Angle Climate change is a major threat to cultural landscapes. Droughts kill olive trees. Heavy rains cause landslides. If your proposal includes climate adaptation measures (e.g., “We will install rainwater harvesting systems to irrigate terraces during droughts”), you align with EU climate priorities.

4. The “Slow Tourism” Model Italy is promoting “Slow Tourism”—the idea that tourists should stay longer, spend more, and have a deeper experience. If your proposal encourages slow tourism (e.g., “We will promote week-long stays in agriturismi instead of day trips”), you score higher.

5. The “Digital Heritage” Strategy Not everyone can visit Italy. But they can experience it digitally. If your proposal includes digital storytelling (e.g., “We will create a 360° virtual tour of the landscape” or “We will record oral histories from elderly farmers”), you make the heritage accessible to a global audience.

Application Timeline

April-May 2025: Community Consultation

• Action: Hold community assemblies. What do residents want? What are their concerns?
• Action: Form a steering committee with representatives from each municipality.

June-July 2025: Conservation Plan Update

• Action: Update your conservation master plan. What needs to be restored? What is the priority?
• Action: Conduct a biodiversity assessment. What species are present? What habitats need protection?

August 2025: Financial Planning

• Action: Prepare the budget. Get quotes for construction, equipment, and training.
• Action: Identify co-financing sources (e.g., EU LEADER program, regional funds).

September 8, 2025: Submission

• Action: Submit via the Ministry of Culture’s online portal.

Required Materials

• Conservation Master Plan: Approved by the regional authority.
• Tourism Management Strategy: Including carrying capacity limits.
• Community Engagement Records: Minutes from assemblies, surveys, etc.
• Budget: Detailed line-item breakdown.
• Monitoring Plan: How you will track biodiversity, visitor numbers, and local employment.

What Makes an Application Stand Out

The “Heritage-Led Regeneration” Model The best projects use heritage as an economic engine. They don’t just preserve the past; they create a future. For example: “We will train 20 young people in traditional dry-stone wall building. They will restore the terraces and start a social enterprise offering wall-building services to private landowners.”

The “Circular Economy” Approach Show how you will minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency. For example: “We will compost organic waste from restaurants and use it to fertilize the vineyards.” This aligns with EU circular economy goals.

The “Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer” Many traditional skills are dying out. If your proposal includes knowledge transfer (e.g., “We will pair elderly farmers with young apprentices to teach traditional pruning techniques”), you preserve intangible heritage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring the Residents If you design the project in Rome and impose it on the community, it will fail. Residents must be involved from Day 1. They must see the benefits.

Over-Reliance on Tourism Tourism is volatile (as COVID-19 proved). If your entire economic model depends on tourists, you are vulnerable. Diversify. Support local production (food, crafts) that can be sold locally and to tourists.

Weak Governance Managing a landscape consortium is complex. You need clear governance structures. Who makes decisions? How are conflicts resolved? If your governance is weak, the project will collapse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can private landowners participate? Yes, but they must be part of the consortium. Private landowners can receive grants for restoration work on their land, but the consortium must coordinate.

Do we need to charge tourists? Not necessarily. But you need a sustainable revenue model. This could be entrance fees, parking fees, or a “tourist tax” (like Venice’s).

Can we use the grant for marketing? Yes, but only a small portion (typically 10-15% of the budget). The focus is on conservation and infrastructure, not marketing.

What happens after the grant ends? You are expected to sustain the project through tourism revenue, local taxes, and ongoing EU funding (e.g., LEADER, Horizon Europe).

How to Apply

1. Visit MiC: Go to www.beniculturali.it.
2. Download the Guidelines: Read the “Bando” (Call for Proposals).
3. Form the Consortium: Sign the consortium agreement.
4. Submit: Upload all documents before the deadline.

Italy’s cultural landscapes are not museums. They are living, working landscapes. This grant is your chance to keep them alive—for residents, for visitors, and for future generations.