Alto Medio Sannio Inner Area Between Marginality, Latent Place Knowledge and Territorial Heritage

Abstract

This paper presents findings from the ongoing Italian PRIN research project RE-PLACE (Reframing the Place-Based Approach through Cultural Ecosystem Services of Inner Areas), which investigates how local communities can contribute to the construction of place knowledge and territorial heritage in marginalised rural regions. Focusing on the Alto Medio Sannio inner area in the Molise region of Italy, the study examines the limitations of conventional place-based development policies, particularly the Italian National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI), and explores alternative approaches grounded in local knowledge, cultural ecosystem services, and territorial heritage. The authors argue that resilience in marginal territories depends not only on external policy interventions but also on the capacity of communities to self-organise and regenerate relationships between people, places, and environmental resources.