A space to share in real time what we are doing
March was a busy month for Me.Te, both on campus and in the local community!
Within the Department of History and Cultures, we met again with students in the Master’s degree programs to present the project, share its objectives and planned activities, and generate new enthusiasm. It was a valuable opportunity to bridge research and education and to concretely demonstrate what the Third Mission entails.
In the field, meanwhile, the team traveled to Arquata del Tronto for a site visit that allowed us to meet with the municipal administration and finalize the details of the activities scheduled to begin in late May: an important step toward building a solid and lasting relationship with the local community.
Stay tuned—field activities are just around the corner!
Project activities continue with institutional meetings and operational work sessions. Recently, the team had the opportunity to meet with the Mayor of Arquata del Tronto to explore prospects for collaboration and potential synergies between the University and the Municipality.
At the same time, focus group meetings have allowed for the discussion of various organizational aspects, particularly regarding the scheduling of site visits to be conducted in early 2026 and the planning of the period dedicated to field activities, as well as the planning of additional presentations within courses to introduce the project to students. A formal agreement with the Municipality is currently being finalized, confirming the collaboration between the University and the local community.
The Me.Te project has begun sharing its work with students in the undergraduate programs of the Department of History and Cultures at the University of Bologna. As part of the courses offered within the degree programs, coordinator Enrico Giorgi, the representative of the Anthropology focus group Zelda Alice Franceschi, and Federica Carbotti, a DISCI research fellow and member of the project team, presented the project’s objectives, methodologies, and potential field activities to the students, sparking curiosity and active participation.
Even in this initial phase, there have been several expressions of interest from students, confirming their enthusiasm for the project and its ability to bridge academic training with hands-on experience in the local community.
The journey of Me.Te begins!
The project coordinator, Enrico Giorgi, and his co-workers were in Ascoli Piceno and Arquata del Tronto for the first on-site inspection and to make contacts with local institutions and associations. Our project proposal was received with great enthusiasm, and we could not be happier about this.
The meeting with the Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Ascoli Piceno, Fermo and Macerata, Arch. Giovanni Issini, and with the Officials for the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Ascoli Piceno, Fermo and Macerata and for the provinces of L'Aquila and Teramo, dott. Francesco Pizzimenti and Dr. Gilda Assenti, made it possible to officially present the project to the institutions responsible for the protection of cultural heritage and to listen to their suggestions and advice on how to proceed.
Together with the officials, the first visit was also made to the Montagna dei Fiori and its caciare, the typical dry-stone huts that dot this entire area and that are now finally mapped thanks to the project's activities.
At the same time, the project was also presented to representatives of the local authorities, such as the Councillor for Education of the Municipality of Ascoli Piceno, Dr. Donatella Ferretti, who immediately took action to help us seek the first contacts among the local schools.
We are now also starting to make contacts with local associations, such as Arquata Potest, which we hope will be able to collaborate with us to stitch together the Memories of the Territory.