Participatory Model for the Management and Enhancement of the Cultural Heritage of Mussomeli (CL): The Manfredonian Castle as a Driver of Widespread Tourism

The management and enhancement of historical and architectural heritage require a coordinated set of activities ranging from the conservation and restoration of assets to their cultural and touristic promotion. These activities include the creation of thematic routes, guided tours, sustainable planning through integrated management plans, monitoring of tourism impacts, mitigation of mass tourism, and the safeguarding of cultural sites. Education and active community engagement also play a central role, involving schools, associations, and citizens in fostering a culture of the ‘common good’. This paper presents an experimental model for the documentation and enhancement of cultural heritage, based on an educational and participatory approach. The model was developed with the aim of promoting awareness and communication of both tangible and intangible heritage in the territory of Caltanissetta, with reference to the municipality of Mussomeli. Through participatory strategies, the project identifies the magnificent Castle of Mussomeli – built between the 14th and 15th centuries – as a catalyst for strategic actions aimed at inclusive and decentralised management of cultural tourism. Although the castle is the main attraction of the area due to its historical, morphological, stylistic, and landscape features, the surrounding area also holds valuable architectural and landscape heritage that remains underrepresented in traditional tourist circuits. The project thus proposes a valorisation model that leverages the castle’s notoriety to attract a more conscious and widespread form of cultural tourism throughout the territory. In this context, the castle’s ancient stables – the subject of in-depth geometric and spatial analyses through digital surveying – play a key role. These spaces are envisioned as potential exhibition and communication venues. Using innovative technologies – including information panels, videos, multimedia stations, and 3D models – the stables are conceived as interactive environments for presenting cultural heritage, capable of engaging a diverse audience across social, cultural, and generational lines.