The Squillace Manifesto at the Senate: 26 Calabrian villages ask for

The Squillace Manifesto reaches the Senate: summary

On April 1, 2026, in the Sala Zuccari at Palazzo Giustiniani in Rome, representatives from twenty-six Calabrian villages presented the Squillace Manifesto to national institutions. The document, produced through collaboration among mayors, associations and inland communities, calls for permanent technical working groups to turn proposals into actionable policies.

Key data and local challenges

The meeting highlighted structural and social weaknesses in the region:

• Three out of four villages lack a physical bank branch;
• internet banking adoption is about 33%, the lowest rate in Italy;
• among 404 municipalities with fewer than 500 inhabitants many face interrupted roads, scarce health services and schools at risk of closure;
• recent extreme weather events exposed vulnerabilities in infrastructure and service provision.

Practical examples of local revival

Speakers presented success stories that show how villages can drive development:

• San Floro (Catanzaro): return of young entrepreneurs led to Nido di Seta, a textile startup active internationally;
• Civita: cultural and culinary promotion of Arbëreshë traditions generated restaurants and tourist accommodations in a small community;
• San Sostene: a municipally funded renewable energy plant provides employment for local families.

Institutional proposals and next steps

Key announcements included:

• a draft law proposing tax incentives for retirees and workers willing to move residence to municipalities under 5,000 inhabitants;
• promotion of the regional "Abita i borghi montani" measure for residents in villages under 3,000 inhabitants, with initial relocations underway;
• the launch of technical working groups between local administrations and the central government on the Manifesto's main themes: connectivity, youth and new economies, local welfare, governance and resources.

List of signatory municipalities

The twenty-six villages that signed the Squillace Manifesto are:

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

What visitors and operators should know

For visitors and local operators, the Manifesto signals a push for interventions that could make villages more accessible, better served and more sustainable. The forthcoming technical tables may deliver incentives, improved services and regeneration projects that enhance the experience of visiting and living in these historic centers.

Contact: for details on specific projects and local initiatives, contact the municipal administrations or the associations involved.