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Villa Roberti as a Cultural Hub
Published on 26 November 2019
Italy
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About this good practice
Main aim of the Villa Roberti cooperative and CCI is to become a cultural and creative tourism & business hub and create and share culture in all of its changing forms: the pleasure of knowledge, respect for nature, love for beauty, the pleasure of slow rhythms, the value of welcoming others and the strength of collaboration. It offers:
1. Cultural events: theatre & music performances, chamber music & choir; reading events, conferences & art shows. It welcomes resident artists.
2. Guided tours, and experiential visits..
3. Info point for visitors.
4. It’s an open cultural and creative tourism hub: it offers a space for networking, sharing and planning to those interested in the valorisation of culture and environment: here, tourists and visitors can meet local CCIs and artists.
5. It collaborates with public and private entities to develop a tourism destination, promoting aggregation of private companies and associations working in the cultural and creative sectors.
6. Bike friendly space.
7. It offers accommodation, hosts private events, weddings and business meetings, welcomes the weekly market and organises events for kids.
The main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the practice are those whose material and immaterial resources of the Saccisica area promoted: villas, traditional hatched roof houses, towers and museums, naturalistic areas, local CCIs.
1. Cultural events: theatre & music performances, chamber music & choir; reading events, conferences & art shows. It welcomes resident artists.
2. Guided tours, and experiential visits..
3. Info point for visitors.
4. It’s an open cultural and creative tourism hub: it offers a space for networking, sharing and planning to those interested in the valorisation of culture and environment: here, tourists and visitors can meet local CCIs and artists.
5. It collaborates with public and private entities to develop a tourism destination, promoting aggregation of private companies and associations working in the cultural and creative sectors.
6. Bike friendly space.
7. It offers accommodation, hosts private events, weddings and business meetings, welcomes the weekly market and organises events for kids.
The main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the practice are those whose material and immaterial resources of the Saccisica area promoted: villas, traditional hatched roof houses, towers and museums, naturalistic areas, local CCIs.
Expert opinion
Villa Roberti functions as cultural hub in a rural area that benefits local SMEs directly and indirectly. The premises of the villa host activities of 15 local associations, but there are positive broader spill-over effects to surrounding businesses such as artisan shops or restaurants. The villa hosts a monthly local market and actively works to attract visitors to the area. which can have positive spill over effects for the other nearby businesses. The centre also promotes local guided tours and local accommodation. Noteworthily, the
Villa Roberti has signed MoUs with the local municipality to manage the local information centre and it hosts the offices of the territorial planning organisation. Altogether, it is a good example how a centre focusing on cultural and creative industries can benefit the local economy in a rural setting.
Villa Roberti has signed MoUs with the local municipality to manage the local information centre and it hosts the offices of the territorial planning organisation. Altogether, it is a good example how a centre focusing on cultural and creative industries can benefit the local economy in a rural setting.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
A contribution of € 67.000 was received from the European Funds for Regional Development. The cooperative collaborates with over 30 cultural associations and foundations, nine municipalities of the Saccisica, tourism Consortium (Pro Loco) and the Province of Padova. It relies on paid for services.
Evidence of success
Visitors: 40.000/year. Public events: 20 in 2019. There are usually about 90 people per event, which are on a payment basis. During the 2018-2019 winter season, Villa Roberti organised a series of six training meetings focused on the themes of tourism. Ca 30 paying participants participated at each lesson. In 2019 the number of Facebook likes increased (2281) together with the interaction with the public (followers: 2321).
Potential for learning or transfer
The diversity and interdisciplinary background of the staff enables to offer events in areas as diverse as culture, environmental education, tourism and training. The villa is also highly adaptable for multiple uses, hence the claim of the cooperative: Mutable forms. The cooperative Villa Roberti is the only example of a cooperative in charge of a Villa in the Province of Padova. It also operates in a sector which is often difficult to develop in a financially viable way. Potentially transferable lessons are the following: Knowledge about starting up and developing a Cultural Creative Industry
Knowledge about combining a diversity of events, sectors and creation of public-private partnership
Knowledge about the business model underpinning the cooperative and its financial sustainability
Knowledge about the opportunity of the ERDF and its limitations
Knowledge about its impacts on the community and the surrounding territory.
Knowledge about combining a diversity of events, sectors and creation of public-private partnership
Knowledge about the business model underpinning the cooperative and its financial sustainability
Knowledge about the opportunity of the ERDF and its limitations
Knowledge about its impacts on the community and the surrounding territory.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Cooperative Villa Roberti
Italy
Veneto
Contact
senior officer