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2' min read
The Mediterranean Archaeological Tourism Exchange lands in Agrigento. To turn the spotlight on the Sicilian city that will be 'Italian Capital of Culture' in 2025.
"ArcheoExperience in the Island of Treasures", the BMTA event promoted by the Sicilian Region's Department of Cultural Heritage of Sicilian Identity, will be held from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 September at the Valley of the Temples Park, the 'Griffo' Archaeological Museum, the 'Pirandello' Theatre, and twelve ecclesiastical and artistic sites in the historic centre of Agrigento. The initiative aims to enhance the 14 Archaeological Park areas spread across the entire island: Catania and the Aci Valley; Gela; Himera, Solunto and Iato; the Aeolian Islands; Kamarina and Cava d'Ispica; Leontinoi; Lilybaeum-Marsala; Morgantina and the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina; Naxos and Taormina; Segesta; Selinunte, Cave di Cusa and Pantelleria; Syracuse, Eloro, Villa del Tellaro and Akrai; Tindari; and the Valley of the Temples.
Sicily is among the regions with the highest number of sites on the Unesco List, no less than 7: Arab-Norman Palermo and the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale; Syracuse and the rocky Necropolis of Pantalica; Valley of the Temples in Agrigento; Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina; Aeolian Islands, Mount Etna; Val di Noto, as well as a series of intangible heritage elements: the Opera dei Pupi (puppet theatre), the art of dry stone walling, the Mediterranean diet and the Pantelleria tree vine.
The initiative of the Exchange directed by Ugo Picarelli - who every year organises a successful event dedicated to the archaeological heritage of Southern Italy in Paestum - also involves employer organisations and local operators in order to emphasise the attractiveness of tourism, local products, intangible heritage, and events. The programme is aimed at intercepting the target of school tourism, association tourism, and leisure tourism. At the centre of the initiatives is the ancient Akragas, which finds in the Unesco site (in 2023 the Archaeological and Landscape Park of the Valley of the Temples exceeded one million visitors, fifth in Italy after the Colosseum, Pompeii, the Uffizi and the Egyptian Museum) the main reason for its notoriety at the international level, also supported by the DEVU, the Declaration of Outstanding Universal Value.
The programme includes: ArcheoIncontrienti dedicated to the world of school on topics related to the knowledge of the Archaeological Parks, with the participation of cultural disseminators, the directors of the Sicilian and State Archaeological Parks, and university professors. In addition, the multimedia room adjacent to the Temple of Zeus will host the projection of the video 'The Dream of Olympia' on the 3D reconstruction of the Temple of Zeus. Conferences, in-depth discussions with representatives of the Department of Cultural Heritage, municipalities, Gal, and universities on the governance of the archaeological heritage. Meetings by the regional system of employers' associations, educational for European buyers and the press, Archaeology Workshops.
