Quarterly review July-September 2014

Operational Programme -Malta 2007-2013

IN THIS FIFTH ISSUE The July-September-2014 issue of our newsletter opens with the Lithos project which concerns the study, restoration, establishment and maintenance of one of the most characteristic and ancient building techniques employed in the Sicilian-Maltese area: stereotomia. From this ancient architectural-building technique which involves geometrical knowledge in the drafting and cutting of blocks of stone togeth- er with their assembly into complex structures we continue onto the Archaeotur project which deals with conservation and promotion of our common cultural heritage by putting some of the cross-border archaeological sites on the map. We are promoting not just the past but also the future with the Waterfront project which is involved in re-qualifying urban areas touching the straight of .This unity of inten- tions, competencies and resources has been confirmed inthe presentation of the 2014/2020 programming. >> THE VALUE OF CULTURE amidst antique building methods and archaeological sites the LITHOS and ARCHAEOTUR projects >> Re-qualifying harbour areas for a green, fruitful, tourism development of the territories involved in the WATERFRONT project AND FURTHERMORE... THE ITALIA MALTA CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION >> Investing in innovation and research, creating and strengthening enterprises, PROGRAMME 2014-2020 safeguarding the environment and the efficient use of resources. And on this premise, the Li t h o s involved in the restoration of one project has created an Interna- of the façades of the Palace of the tional research centre on ster- Inquisition in Birgu, in which the eotomia and stonework which stereotomia techniques studied acts as a collector of field, scien- within the Lithos project were put tific, and popular research work in into practice. STEREOTOMIA this area. The centre is housed in Furthermore, an area of the centre Stereotomia is a set of geomet- Palazzo La Rocca, one of the 18 has been reserved as the Stereot- rical knowledge and techniques UNESCO heritage sites within the omia Museum, the first in Sicily, in the drafting and cutting blocks Ragusa territory, with a comple- where drawings, mouldings, mod- of stone and their assembly into els, fragments and iconographic mentary unit in Malta. architectural structures (walls, The historical architecture of Sic- architectural remains exemplifying vaults, arches, etc.) alternative ily and Malta has stereotomia At present, the Centre has a Spe- the use of stone are exhibited. to building techniques based on and similar building techniques in cialised library with several manu- small stone conglomerates and common, as well as the work of scripts and prints about stereotomia brick. architects and masons who spread and a Specialised research labo- their knowledge across the Medi- ratory working on understanding The word stereotomia (from the terranean. Investigation into this the physical-mechanical properties THE PARTNERS: Provincia Re- Greek στερεός “solid, hard” and field has rediscovered a tradi- of stone and in diagnosing the deg- gionale di Ragusa (lead partner); τομή “cut”) was first used in 17th tion stretching back hundreds of radation to which it is predisposed. Università degli Studi di Palermo century France, though the ster- years which can be applied to new The expertise of the laboratory per- - Dipartimento di Architettura; Re- eotomia technique can be traced buildings but also to the recovery, sonnel and the acquired instrumen- gione Siciliana - Centro Regionale back a few thousand years before re-qualification and restoration of tation has enabled the exchange per la Progettazione, il Restauro e that. In fact, the Egyptians left historical town centres and areas and transfer of competences with per le Scienze naturali ed applicate traces of the building technique of quality in Sicily and Malta. Maltese masons and apprentices ai Beni Culturali; Heritage Malta. in illustrations on papyrus. LITHOS - Project for setting up an international research and study centre for stereotomy, its restoration and the experimentation of sustainable building solutions

Web site: www.progetto-lithos.eu Lead partner: Susanna Salerno Provincia Regionale di Ragusa [email protected]

Stereotomia: a shared technical-cultural Admist history, techniques and models tradition to preserve THE STEREOTOMIA MUSEUM. and maintain together. The museum is housed in the splendidly restored Other models in the museum rooms point to com- Palazzo La Rocca in Ragusa Ibla and exhibits a se- plex solutions for arches to be found in villa Nicolaci ries of drawings and models of stereotomia work and the town hall in Noto. built in south-eastern Sicily and Malta. Through the analysis of such works, both in Sicily and Malta, the workmanship and particularly ad- Among the models exhibited one can find the cupo- vanced technical ability in dressing the stone, its laed structures of the cinquecento-chapels of Com- sheer cleverness become clear. iso (St. Francis), Militello (St. Anthony), (St. Mary of Bethlehem), and (St. Anthony). Fur- Hence, this exposition allows the public at large to ther three-dimensional pieces deal with some so- sense the quality and characteristics of Sicilian and lutions for helical staircases, such as the open-well Maltese historical buildings — such as the hemi- staircase of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and the oval spherical, stone, cupolas or the spiral staircases — one at San Mattia al Noviziato, both in Palermo; this helps us understand the differences and the the double spiral staircase in the Teatini complex in geometrical variety of the past which is essential to Siracusa and the oval vis-de-Saint-Gilles staircase keep the memory alive and is the basis to remould a at Verdala palace in Malta. modern, sustainable building experimentation.

5 been possible to turn these sites The partnership has placed a great into potential cultural tourist at- deal of attention on the fruition of tractions for these two areas thus the heritage trails by children and generating the opportunity of the diversely able person creating socio-economic development in learner friendly educational pro- terms of numbers of visitors and grammes through ICT and multi- in lengthening the holiday season, media supports. apart from rediscovering the roots of a common cultural identity. ARCHAEOTUR in n um b ers The Arch a eo t u r sites were regen- THE SITES INVOLVED: Catacombs, Pr o m o t i n g a n d c o n s e r v i n g c u lt u r- erated and improvements made hypogea (underground chambers) 9 archaeological sites a l a n d n at u r a l h e r i ta g e through for access, such as repairing paths and burial places of Late Antiquity regenerated with improved the development of relatively “mi- and dry-stone walls, the building at Ta’ Bistra (Mosta); St. Augus- access nor” archaeological sites, in regard of wooden walkways and fenc- tines (Rabat); Cava Celone, Trabac- to the great cultural attractions to be ing and the setting up of a visitor che, Cisternazzi and Donnafugata 4 heritage trails found in Sicily and Malta. welcome centre with the virtual (Ragusa); Mezzagnone, Pirrera and reconstruction of the archaeologi- Mirio (Santa Croce Camerina). 2 ICT kiosks The Arch a eo t u r project has guar- cal surroundings. anteed better management, devel- The usability of the regenerated THE PARTNERS: Mosta Local Coun- 25 information boards opment, and tourism promotion of sites has enabled the planning cil (lead partner); Heritage Malta; and tourism sign posts the archaeological sites in the Iblei and realization of common — the- Malta Tourism Authority; Rabat area and Malta which were also matically distinct — heritage trails Local Council; Comune di Ragusa; 1 3D video showing subject to protection and conser- containing maps and trail types at Soprintendenza ai Beni Culturali di a virtual reconstruction of the vation within the project. the Ragusa, Santa Croce Cameri- Ragusa; Comune di Santa Croce archaeological surroundings Thanks to these actions it has na, Rabat and Mosta sites. Camerina; GiriTravel s.r.l.

ARCHAEOTUR - Integrated management and promotion of archaeological sites in Ragusa and Malta

Web site: www.archaeotur.eu Lead partner: George Cassar Mosta Local Council [email protected]

Regenerating and promoting nine archaeo- logical sites in Sicily and Malta to spur on A shared and integrated cultural tourism. tourism circuit. Archaeotur has defined an Integrated Tourism tecture, know how, and the oral testimony of tra- Circuit that goes through the communes of Ra- ditions. So as to offer combined, optimised tourism gusa and Santa Croce Camerina in Sicily and those services — planned in such a way as to respond of Rabat and Mosta in Malta so as to promote the to the diverse requirements — a fundamental so-called “minor” archaeological sites — that role was played by tour operators and organizers, have already been subject to regeneration and user from meeting planners to professional congress accessibility — falling within the Ragusa provin- organizers (that is, local tourism intermediaries) cial district and the Maltese state. Areas that share whose activities are closely tied to complementary a common cultural heritage made up of churches, hospitality services such as restaurants, shopping, hypogeum and catacombs from Late Antiquity and and tour guides. Early Middle-Ages (circa III-XI c.). The Integrated Tourism Circuit is the positive result of having engaged (through the partnership) The importance and wealth of this heritage has the cross-border territories in all economic, social, led to its definition as an eco-museum that is, the and cultural aspects of the project which, through spatial impact of a given historical community that the development of a shared cultural heritage, proposes as “museum artefacts” not only objects which stimulated and sustained the tourist flows in relating to daily life but also the landscape, archi- the areas involved.

5 Th e dissemination o f g o o d p r a c t i c e s and the harmoni- zation of territorial planning techniques of the common coastlines, based on the exchange of cross-border experiences between Mal- ta and Sicily. The WATERFRONTS The waterfronts are strips of urban land by an analysis of the transformations The Waterfront project has favoured the integration between Sicily’s in direct contact with a body of water, in act. The partnership — the regional western coast and Malta to develop, through sustainable means, the or closely connected to it, such as towns provinces of Trapani (lead partner) and cross-border resources of the area from a cultural, economic, and social on the sea or a lake or crossed by a river. Palermo, Palermo Town Council, the Uni- point of view. The exchange of experience and dissemination of good prac- Areas for which the water represents a versity of Palermo and the University of tices among the administrations involved has led to the harmonization of resource to be exploited also from a green Malta — has thus been able to define an territorial planning techniques favouring the evaluation at a national, re- viewpoint. atlas of prospective and contrast- gional, and local level and thus strengthening the implementation of envi- The Waterfront project aims, there- ing scenarios to harmonise territorial ronmental policy and programmes of risk prevention. The evaluation and fore, at the re-qualification of these planning techniques and for the ecologi- re-interpretation of the risks and opportunities offered by the dynamics of areas and specifically those in the prov- cal, productive and integrated tourism the transformation of the coastal areas under survey was the starting point ince of Trapani and Palermo and that in development of the areas involved. of the project which considered the waterfront a valid driving force for the La Valletta. A re-qualification sustainable development and innovation of territorial systems. that starts with an evaluation of the risks and the potential Web site: for transformation of the cit- www.waterfrontproject.eu ies and relative territories and Lead partner: Deborah Aureli Provincia Regionale di Trapani [email protected]

WATERFRONT - Water And Territorial PoliciEs for IntegRation oF multisectoRial DevelOpmeNT

2014/2020 Programming Commission by the Sicilian Region – Planning businesses working in environmental pro- Department (Managing Authority). tection, marine and land security, cultural The programme is based on three priority heritage, and the quality of life and health axes: of its citizens; 1) research, technological development, 3) environmental protection and effi- and innovation that foster the specializa- cient use of resources that contribute to tion in some technologically advanced sec- the protection and safeguard of marine and The Italia Malta cross-border coopera- tors such as electronics, electro mechan- terrestrial biodiversity within the territories tion programme 2014/2020, with an over- ics, micro and nano systems, the biotech- of the two islands and promote actions to all endowment in public funding of 51M euros, nologies and applied research into human mitigate the effects of climate change and was officially approved by the cross-border health; to face scenarios of natural and man made task force group on 19/09/2014 and further 2) cross-border competition to en- risks to the area, placing particular atten- uploaded into the IT system of the European hance the creation and strengthening of tion to those coming from the sea.

FOCUS Since July 2012, a work group made up of the Managing Authority, the Funds and Programmes Division, the Ministry for Economic Development and the Joint Technical Secre- tariat has worked on the Cooperation Programme. The group has discussed and shared the principal themes for future cooperation between Sicily and Malta and has involved in the var- ious public consultation processes both generic partners (public/private actors and citizens generally) and qualified partners (competent authorities and actors in programming opera- tions). This combined and multilevel approach has assured the final draft of the programme that can be seen at www.italiamalta.eu

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