Ri–conoscere patrimoni invisibili: approcci collaborativi per una valorizzazione condivisa

Over the last 20 years, both practices and European policy documents have increasingly emphasized the key role played by communities in the field of cultural heritage. Engaging citizens and stakeholders in the protection, manage- ment, and exploitation of heritage asset can support sustainable transitions, generating multidimensional impacts at the territorial level in terms of improved well–being, social cohesion, new job creation, capacity building, and community empowerment. The exploitation of abandoned or underused cultural heritage, while providing benefits for the members of the local community, can also reinforce social innovation and foster cultural and creative practices. Among abandoned heritages, those that, due to diverse conditions, characteristics, and historical reasons, are “hidden” from the community, represent a challenge both in terms of recovery and adaptive reuse, as well as in terms of re–appro- priation of local historical memory. With reference to this invisible legacy, the contribution investigates an underground heritage in Malta: the Underground Flour Mills, a network of 8 sites built by the British Authorities after World War II to ensure stable food provision in case of conflicts. The case study was developed through a Short–Term Scientific Mission carried out within the COST Action “Underground Built Heritage as a catalyser for Community Valorisation” (U4V). A civic engagement campaign was organized with a two–fold aim: on the one hand, making this underground heritage known to a broader public; on the other, co–designing strategies with local stakeholders and citizens for their sustainable valorisation. Activities developed on–site included an open day and interviews with different categories of stakeholders involved in the field of local cultural heritage. Starting from the data collected, the contribution offers a discussion on how information and knowledge transfer to the community can facilitate dialogue and interaction between territorial actors, fostering collaborative processes based on shared valorisation strategies.