ITINEREL is project aims to study the legal aspects of Cultural and Religious Routes (CRRoutes) with an interdisciplinary approach: the analysis of public/constitutional law, international and European law, ecclesiastical and canon law, tourism law on the issue will be integrated by a study of economic, cultural and social impact of these forms of tourism. The increasing role of such itineraries within tourism industry and the development (or re-discovering) of new and existing routes today urge to conduct a research for better understanding their presence and characteristics, their legal regulation, their potential for future generations. More specifically, CRRoutes appear as tools for developing common values, forms of sustainable tourism and innovative ways of protecting and promoting cultural and religious, tangible and intangible heritage. At this regard, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) seeks to strengthen the territorial cohesion, environmental sustainability, and the right to culture and its intergenerational transmission, also with innovative forms of participation.
The general objectives of ITINEREL are
– Understand the presence of CRRoutes in tourism sector and their role for the development of sustainable tourism;
– Study and offer tools for a better understanding of the legislation on CRRoutes;
– Carry out an initial “census” of the CRRoutes in the regions involved (Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany), observing which ones are already recognized, and how;
– See how CRRoutes are a way to promote cultural heritage, the development of common values and the construction of European identity, also for future generations.
In order to pursue these research results, ITINEREL project will have a multidisciplinary approach and 3 main phases:
– phase 1: a recognition of legislation and existing bibliography (Milestone 1 and 2);
– phase 2: a legal, economic and historical analysis of CRRoutes, with regard to their protection (legislation at the international,national and local level), the values communicated about CRRoutes, their promotion by religious and civil actors, their historical aspects, their impact for tourism sector (Milestone 3). These aspects can underline the link between CRRoutes, forms of sustainable tourism, development of bottom-up and “slow” tourism in recent times and in the post pandemic age;- phase 3 (Milestones 4, 5, 6): a field-study about CRRoutes in the 3 Regions of the project (which are the Regions of the RUs). The fieldwork will be conducted with the participation of civil and religious actors and other operators of the sector.
Among the outputs of the fieldwork, there will be: a “census” of CRRoutes in the 3 mentioned Regions; tools for the recognition of CRRoutes, also with reference to the 2022 call for manifestations of interest by the Ministry of Turism; a “green label” for religious sustainable tourism initiatives; a survey on religious tourists’ behaviors.
The project team is composed by 3 Research Units:
– RU1: Università degli studi dell’Insubria
– RU2: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
– RU3: Università degli studi di Firenze