MAIN10ANCE "The Sacred Mountains: common heritage of values, laboratory for sustainable conservation and better tourist use of cultural heritage"

On Monday 27 May 2019, the first operational meeting of the project working group took place at the headquarters of Confartigianato in Novara. ‘Main10ance’ ‘I Sacri Monti: common heritage of values, a laboratory for sustainable conservation and better tourist use of cultural heritage’.

The cooperation project aims to develop a working method and operational tools able to guide clients, management, control bodies and professionals to develop a planned conservation plan of cultural heritage based on the principles of sustainability, with a long-term vision of the planned interventions and optimizing the available resources. The project believes that the Sacred Mountains are emblematic evidence of the centuries-old circulation of workers and the commonality of techniques and materials on the two sides of the Alps. The actions aimed at achieving the objective are initiatives for the knowledge, conservation, management and enhancement of religious and tourist sites.

In particular, the Centre will operate on the Varallo site through the activation of an experimental site where advanced diagnostics, innovative technical solutions and tradition will be combined in good maintenance practices.

The project leaders are the University of Eastern Piedmont on the Italian side and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Italian Switzerland on the Swiss side; they will work with the following project partners: Fondazione Centro Conservazione e Restauro dei Beni Culturali La Venaria Reale, Confartigianato Imprese Piemonte Orientale, Politecnico di Torino, Ente di gestione dei Sacri Monti, Regione Piemonte, Ufficio beni culturali and Logistica del Canton Ticino.

The entire project has a duration of 36 months so it will end on 28 May 2022.