Ricerc@Sapienza

In the current global economic system, Europe’s minor historic towns – the pulsing heart of the very meaning of Europe – are gradually losing their attractiveness due to the trend of the population’s growing concentration in large cities. In fact, small- and medium-sized towns located in peripheral areas appear incapable today of undertaking a prospect for development. The problem has gradually exacerbated the gap between large cities and small towns, although the latter offer greater liveability and quality of life.

Although being largely implemented, participatory processes are still absent in many territories, even if they don’t lack of associative forms and collective aims. An emblematic case is represented by the Aniene Valley, a mountain area crossed by the homonymous river and situated on the eastern edge of the Metropolitan City of Rome, at the border with Abruzzo. This area, which is considered among the most marginal of the Latium region, has undergone deep social and economic changes over the last few decades, also due to the relative ease of access to the capital.