Il Villaggio Mancuso e il turismo pionieristico in Sila: un esempio di Heritage Community

The Mancuso Village was built in the 1930s entirely from wood. Its remarkable contribution to the history and formation of Catanzaro Sila’s identity profile has been recognized by now especially in the main building of the complex called Grande Albergo Delle Fate. It was designed to welcome tourists in the summer season; the village located at 1300 m. a.s.l. and surrounded by woods where you can breathe a very healthy air, was built with local materials; the wood used is the Laricio Silano pine and the internal wool linings – added late – were made by the Caruso Carpet School founded by Armenians masters, who arrived in Calabria to escape a massacre; it is a valid example of actual social integration which is one of the most important issues strenuously pursued by the Agenda 2030 Strategy. Although, over time, the buildings have been renovated and in some cases replaced by concrete artefacts, the complex is an example of Heritage Community since the local population still recognizes, in spite of the state of abandonment, its significant role in local initiatives. Therefore, in order to promote local and social development, the goal is to re-launch tourism in the area through the redevelopment of the village and the sustainable restoration of its wooden buildings.