From the margins the world looks clearer: small Calabrian towns bet on culture and identity

Published on LaC News24 on 16 May 2026. In the Buongiorno in Calabria episode, the mayors of Cittanova, Cerisano and Sant'Agata del Bianco described local strategies that use culture and identity to regenerate communities.

The examples presented show how targeted projects — from acting schools and cultural hubs to community art — can generate concrete economic and social returns in areas affected by depopulation.

• Cittanova: a €2.3 million package, including €1.3 million for road maintenance and €1 million to consolidate the former prison housing the Scuola di Recitazione della Calabria, which the administration aims to develop to university level.
• Cerisano: restoration of Palazzo Sersale into a cultural hub hosting a Political Science master's program with the University of Calabria, an audiovisual center and a political training school; effective use of PNRR and Borghi funds supported new B&Bs and local businesses with grants up to €80,000.
• Sant'Agata del Bianco: identity-based regeneration centered on writer Saverio Strati, with murals, iron installations and painted doors that boosted school tourism and new enterprises; the Festival Stratificazioni brings summer music and literature to the village.

Mayors' accounts underline a shared approach: leveraging culture and community participation as sustainable development tools, prioritizing training, distributed beauty and long-term planning.