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Emilia-Romagna

Campolo to receive 21.5 million euros to make its cultural heritage a driving force for development in the Apennines

“Da Campolo l’Arte fa Scola” is the urban regeneration project for the historic village in the municipality of Grizzana Morandi, which in 2023 was awarded funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) for the Enhancement of Village Attractiveness

by Giorgia Colucci

21 July 2026

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La presentazione del progetto “Da Campolo l'Arte fa Scola” Regione Emilia-Romagna

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Translated by AI

Versione italiana

6' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - A village in the Bolognese Apennines at risk of depopulation is being revitalised thanks to an investment of almost 21.5 million euros to transform tradition into new opportunities for living, working and business in the area. This is the story of Campolo’s revival, a village in the municipality of Grizzana Morandi at the heart of one of the most significant territorial regeneration projects carried out in the Emilia-Romagna Apennines. Specifically, the project “Da Campolo l’Arte fa Scola” – implemented directly by the local council and supported by the Emilia-Romagna Region in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture – was awarded, in 2023, the €20 million in funding provided for under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) as part of the ‘Attractiveness of Villages’ measure, funded by the European Union, NextGenerationEU and the Ministry of Culture, emerging as the winner of the regional selection process.

These resources were supplemented by 1 million from the Fund for Urgent Works and 420,000 euros from the GSE Conto Termico scheme (with more than 250,000 euros in grants earmarked for local initiatives). Over the last four years, the initiative has involved the entire local community, with its most significant projects including the establishment of the Scuola della Pietra and the Palens cooperative, the restoration of the Giorgio Morandi House Museum, and the progress made on the restoration of the Rocchetta Mattei. Long a focal point of an extensive restoration programme overseen by the Carisbo Foundation, the former residence of Count Mattei is now one of the most visited sites in the region, as well as a symbol of the rebirth of this stretch of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines.

The regeneration of public spaces

To date, 32 major projects have been completed. Alongside the restoration of historic heritage and public spaces, new permanent initiatives have been established, such as the Casa delle Arti and the Scuola della Pietra e del Costruito Storico dell’Appennino, with the aim of combining heritage conservation, innovation and local development. Furthermore, approximately 13 hectares of land have been acquired for the public domain, in addition to 23 unoccupied or derelict properties which have been restored and will be used for rent-controlled accommodation, temporary housing and community-based accommodation. In Campolo, a series of new venues and initiatives have also been established to support economic activities and local services. The village also features a multi-purpose space comprising a hostel, a community workshop, a shop and a café, whilst the former ‘Anna’ restaurant – a symbolic landmark in the area’s collective memory – has been restored to house a catering business that showcases the region’s traditional specialities and local produce.

“It is not just a matter of restoring historic or derelict buildings, but of giving our Apennines a future again,” explained Gessica Allegni, Councillor for Culture, Parks and Forestry, Biodiversity Protection and Enhancement, and Equal Opportunities for the Emilia-Romagna Region - “Fully in line with the objectives of the National Villages Plan, the approach we have taken has focused first and foremost on rebuilding the community, creating new opportunities for living and working so that people, skills and businesses can choose to live and invest in these places once again.” ‘This is the result of a participatory process,’ she continued, ‘which has involved associations, institutions, local residents and key local partners in a collaborative effort capable of fostering relationships and services that focus on the younger generations, with an emphasis on quality of life.’

Rocchetta Mattei

The restoration of the Rocchetta Mattei – owned by the Carisbo Foundation and managed under an agreement with the Municipality of Grizzana Morandi – was one of the flagship projects of the wider “Da Campolo l’Arte fa Scola” initiative. The historic garden, the Arab-Moorish wing and numerous monumental rooms have been restored. The works included the restoration of the historic rooms on the ground floor, the Corridor, the Loggia delle Uri and the Scala Araldica, as well as the structural consolidation and restoration of rooms of extraordinary value such as the Loggia Carolina, the Turkish Salon, the Turkish Chamber, the Pope’s Room and the Hall of Mirrors, and the safety measures implemented in the rooms of the Count Cesare Mattei wing. The refurbishment of this monumental complex is also linked to the revitalisation of the network connecting Campolo, La Scola, the Palagio and the Giorgio Morandi House Museum, creating a cultural ecosystem that brings together heritage, creativity, education, tourism and services.

The project has also taken on significant educational value. Since May 2025, thanks to the collaboration between the Municipality of Grizzana Morandi and the Department of Cultural Heritage at the University of Bologna, the site has become an open-air classroom. Students on the Master’s degree programme in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage are, in fact, directly involved in the restoration work on some of the most valuable rooms within the monumental complex, gaining hands-on experience of restoration methods and techniques. The restoration site thus stands as a place where conservation, research and education go hand in hand, transforming every restoration project into an opportunity for professional development and the transfer of skills. The new wing of the Rocchetta will open to the public in the autumn, with a significant increase in the number of guided tours.

Celebrating tradition

Among other projects, the Compendio del Palagio is being returned to the community as the future Casa delle Arti. The restored buildings will be dedicated to music, the performing arts, photography, digital arts, multimedia storytelling and new technologies, with spaces set aside for research, training, artist residencies and visitor facilities. The major refurbishment – due to be completed by the end of 2024 – of the Giorgio Morandi House Museum, a site linked to the life and work of the Bolognese painter, has enabled its reopening to the public in July 2025, whilst fully respecting the original layout of the house. At the heart of the “Da Campolo l’Arte fa Scola” project lies not only the revival of the built heritage, but also that of the intangible heritage which has shaped the landscape of the Bolognese Apennines for centuries. Campolo is, in fact, known as the ‘village of stonemasons’, boasting one of the area’s most important traditions of sandstone craftsmanship, passed down for centuries from master craftsmen to apprentices.

To promote this heritage, it was decided to establish the School of Stone and Historic Buildings of the Apennines, supported by the Municipality of Grizzana Morandi in partnership with the Emilia-Romagna Region, Iiple School of Construction in Bologna, the University of Bologna, the Fulvio Ciancabilla Association and numerous local businesses. The aim is to establish a permanent centre dedicated to the preservation and transmission of the skills required for the restoration of the Apennines’ historical heritage. The programme aims to train a new generation of craftsmen, technicians, restorers and designers capable of working on historic buildings with up-to-date skills, an appreciation of the landscape and knowledge of traditional building techniques. To reinforce this initiative, the Advanced Training Course ‘Restoration and Conservation of the Historical Heritage of the Apennines’ has also been launched, promoted by the Department of Architecture at the University of Bologna and directed by Professor Giorgia Predari. The project thus takes on a significance that extends beyond the boundaries of the Bolognese Apennines.

Social innovation and culture

In October 2023, the Palens community co-operative was established, one of the tools through which the local community is set to play a leading role in the management and development of the area. Membership is open to residents, second-home owners and businesses in the municipality of Grizzana Morandi and the Limentra Valley. Since 2024, Palens has been organising guided tours, treks, cycling and e-bike excursions, and initiatives dedicated to exploring the historical and natural heritage of the Apennines. Furthermore, since July 2025, ‘L’Angolo di Palens’ has been open in Riola di Vergato, a space combining a shop selling local produce, a café and a tourist information centre.

Campolo also hosts numerous cultural initiatives. Among these is ‘Spaesaggi Festival’, the festival which, since 2024, has been bringing the Rocchetta Mattei and the regeneration sites to life, and which this year was dedicated to the presentation of restoration projects. Alongside the festival, original initiatives have emerged such as Cantieri Sonori, which has transformed the restoration sites themselves into spaces dedicated to music and performances, the ‘Occasioni’ contextual writing residencies, launched in 2025, in which authors are invited to spend time in Campolo. Contemporary arts also feature in the project thanks to the artist residencies, helping to strengthen the dialogue between innovation and tradition and to promote a new way of experiencing the Apennines.