Calabria's Villages Listen: 26 Municipalities Sign Manifesto for a New

Calabria's Villages Listen: a new territorial agenda

On March 20 in Catanzaro, organisers presented a national conference titled "Calabria's Villages Listen – Dialogues for a New Territorial Agenda", scheduled for 1 April 2026 at the Italian Senate in Rome. The initiative, promoted by Senator Clotilde Minasi, stems from a participatory process involving local officials and communities from 26 Calabrian municipalities.

The signed manifesto aims to channel local needs and proposals into a coordinated platform to be discussed at national level, establishing permanent working groups for integrated, long-term policies.

Signing municipalities

• Altilia
• Aiello Calabro
• Amaroni
• Aprigliano
• Bianchi
• Camini
• Careri
• Centrache
• Civita
• Cropani
• Davoli
• Fabrizia
• Frascineto
• Gerocarne
• Guardavalle
• Laino Borgo
• Nocera Terinese
• Morano Calabro
• Palermiti
• Scigliano
• Petrizzi
• San Pietro in Amantea
• San Sostene
• Squillace
• Staiti
• Stalettì

Key themes and practical goals

The manifesto focuses on concrete priorities for public action:

• Local welfare and improved socio-health services;
• Youth policies and incentives to attract stable residents;
• Culture and return tourism with projects to extend seasons and highlight heritage;
• New economies, digitalisation and support for local businesses and digital nomads;
• Material and immaterial connections to strengthen infrastructure and networks;
• Territorial cohesion and repopulation through targeted measures and funding.

Speakers at the presentation included regional and national representatives, mayors and local stakeholders. The initiative also referenced regional measures aimed at facilitating moves to mountain villages, offering incentives for retirees, remote workers and entrepreneurs ready to launch new activities.

The Senate conference is intended to consolidate local proposals into permanent, institutionalised working tables, moving from isolated measures to a comprehensive strategy that links infrastructure, services, identity and local development.

For those following rural development and village revitalisation in Calabria, the 1 April gathering is a key moment to learn about concrete tools, funding opportunities and proposals that will be advanced at national level.