Albugnano

Remote place Italy Piedmont

Albugnano is a village of about 500 inhabitants located in Basso Monferrato, a remote area in the Piedmont region (north-western Italy), between the cities of Turin, Alessandria, and Asti. The territory is a mixture of hills and plains, characterised by wine and rice cultivation, castles, and villages, with still unexpressed potential.

In this area, there is a significant historical and cultural heritage of the Romanic period, with a high concentration of churches and chapels, such as the Santa Maria di Vezzolano Abbey in Albugnano, included in the “TRANSROMANICA”, one of the Culture Routes of the Council of Europe. The strong territorial dominance of green and non-anthropized areas is juxtaposed with cultivated fields and vineyards. The wine-growing sector is one of the driving forces for the complementary gastronomic sector and typical products, as well as an influential resource for developing the commercial and tourist sectors. Proximity to urban centres is seen as an opportunity: it stimulates local communities to improve their quality of life by providing metropolitan services, and it attracts tourists thanks to its varied historical, religious, cultural, natural, and gastronomic heritage.

The area is rich in natural and human biodiversity; it is, therefore, a fertile ground for the participated design of future scenarios to launch the territory towards:

  • the development of a local stakeholder network to stimulate proactive engagement and participation of civil society in co-creation processes, strengthening social inclusion
  • the regeneration of the region with the increase of services, and the cultural and tourist promotion through agricultural production
  • the promotion of the richness of the historical-cultural-territorial heritage through an international communication plan.
https://www.comune.albugnano.at.it/it

The project: “Citofonare Albugnano"

"Ringing the doorbell of Albugnano"

The POLIMI project integrates seven public spaces within Albugnano village, fostering community engagement and conveying the rich legacy of stories, rituals, and traditions embedded in the town.

The project crafts a nuanced assemblage of Albugnano's identity by interweaving relational and spatial data, bridging past legacies with present aspirations. These spaces serve as focal points for historical and contemporary connections, grounding residents in their heritage while igniting a collective vision for future development. Through strategically implementing tactical urbanism strategies, the project breathes new life into the village square, transforming it into a vibrant hub for social interaction. The central garden evolves into a dynamic arena for theatre performances, fostering a sense of belonging and communal pride. The project will be finalised in June 2024. 

More content on the project will come soon.

Windows on the Future selected

Windows on the Future are thematic lenses through which we can look into the future to start regenerating remote places into more liveable environments. Discover more about it.

WoF1 - Citizenship and Governance
WoF3 - Beyond Tourism
WoF5 - Distributed Education

We want to thank all citizens, local experts, and significant players in the territory that have been engaged in the project: Albugnano 549 (association for social promotion) and its co-founder Andrea Pirollo, Dario Rei (former professor in sociology and expert of the Basso Monferrato area), Enoteca Regionale dell’Albugnano (organisation for the promotion of local wines and food products), Lo Stagno di Goethe ETS and its founder Marco Gobetti (cultural association and theatre company), the mayors and municipalities of Albugnano and Aramengo towns (Aurora Angilletta, Giuseppe Marchese, Alessandro Nicola), Pro Loco di Aramengo and Pro Loco di Albugnano (local associations).

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