Innovazione e ricerca vs immobilismo e assenza di programmazione. Prospettive e opportunità per la ricerca applicata all'archeologia

Archaeology, in its daily activity of reconstruction of ancient societies, is at the center of different interests. Collecting data, preserving monuments and proposing historical reconstructions is no longer sufficient. It needs to find new channels of communication and more effective instruments of action towards contemporary society. Archaeology must create synergies between those who do research, those who protect and those who manage cultural heritage. Archeology must provide concrete examples that can stimulate more adequate legislative interventions, capable of producing collective wealth from the enhancement of cultural heritage. The present paper is inspired by the example of Daniele Manacorda, who has always combined, in his academic and professional activity, the passion for archaeological research and for the reconstruction of the ancient societies with attention to the needs of contemporary world, dedicating particular attention to the issues of protection and enhancement of cultural heritage. In this perspective, the present work intends to illustrate two projects, carried out by the IBAM-CNR of Catania. The first dedicated to the enhancement of the Roman Amphitheater of Catania. The second project, called OpenCiTy, is based on a database, a GIS platform and a WebGIS for archiving, analyzing and managing archaeological and historical-artistic data relating to the city of Catania, with the aim of providing to the community a powerful decision support tool for urban planning and sustainable development.