Great satisfaction for a very ambitious project.

LATRONICO – A great appreciation for a project that obtained tremendous success outside regional boundary. We are talking about ArtePollino, the project for the local development which is part of "Sensi contemporanei" programme, promoted by Basilicata Region, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Cultural Activities and Heritage, aiming at the environmental and cultural heritage's enhancement of the territory of Lucania in the Pollino National Park. This project on contemporary art was awarded with the prestigious “Urbanistica” prize for the year 2010. “Urbanistica” is the memorable review of the INU (National Institute of Urban planning), and its publication started since 1933. In the occasion of Urbanpromo 2006. “Urbanistica” review launched the Prize that in the 2009 was in its fourth edition. “Urbanistica Prize”, based on a referendum vote, is organized in certain categories and it is given to the first three placed projects for each category. ArtePollino project was awarded for the “Equilibrio degli interessi”- “Balance of interests” section. An enormous satisfaction for all the work done during these years, which had as main characters, the President of Basilicata Region, Vito De Filippo who strongly believed in the project, deeply challenging the whole territory. Together with him, also others largely contributed to it: Francesco Pesce, Manager of the Department of Regional Council Presidency, and Valerio Giambersio, Project Manager and a member of the Unit for the Evaluation of public investment in the Basilicata Region. The bond of the project is the ArtePollino association, it was found in February 2008 with the aim to encourage the cultural growth of the Pollino Park's territory, promoting each kind of artistic expression, above all the contemporary one.

The Association is chaired by Gaetano Lofrano, its offices are in Latronico and it promoted and promotes a series of initiatives for the involvement of local communities, schools, teachers, aiming at the popularization of the project through the widest collective participation. A fact that doesn't seem to be very appreciated by a limited circle from the Park who goes on obstructing some of the works in progress, which once they will be completed they could develop a territory that is often debated because of trivial motives. Disputes that, obviously, have not been damaging the excellent work done in these years and that will go on without any kind of obstacle.

Claudio Sole