12 Jan SavoiaExperience: three-day Eductour to discover the treasures of the House of Savoy
The month of November opened for the partners of the Interreg ALCOTRA project No. 20119 “SavoyExperience. A tourist and cultural circuit in the heart of Europe,” with participation in the Eductour, one of the activities planned within the project itself.
From November 5 to 7, in fact, the Association Le Terre dei Savoia, represented there by director Elena Cerutti, and FAI Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano ETS, represented instead by Silvia Cavallero, Area Manager Beni FAI Piemonte, Casa Carbone e Barberia, were guests of the cross-border partners, the lead Department of Savoie and the Abbey of Hautecombe Foundation, for a three-day visit, exchange of best practices and cultural insights.
The itinerary was structured in such a way as to touch on several points fundamental to the history of the House of Savoy on the French side: specifically, the visits covered the Castle of the Dukes of Savoy in Chambéry, the priory of Le Bourget-du-Lac, the Abbey of Hautecombe itself, the bishop’s palace with the historic center and cathedral of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, and finally the Fort Reduced Maria Theresa. Particularly interesting was the opening conference, which took place on the morning of Wednesday, November 5. After the greetings, during which Elena Cerutti, Silvia Cavallero, Jérôme Durand, Chloè Jobert, and Gilles Imbert spoke, the activities kicked off with a lecture given by Professor Christian Guilleré, since the 1990s professor of Medieval History at the Université Savoie Mont Blanc, a true authority in the field of Savoy history.
The days were enriched by workshops and working tables aimed not only at creating links and knowledge among the various participants, but structured in such a way as to stimulate reflection on the creation of real tourist circuits capable of generating spillover effects on a wide area territory. The identification of anecdotes and curiosities as starting points, the creation, on a map, of routes and connections on this side and on the other side of the Alps, and finally the identification of a common problem and possible means of resolution solicited the curiosity and operativeness of all the groups involved. In addition to this, some “Savoy culture” quizzes accompanied the visitors during the activities.
In addition to the four project partners, the Eductour was attended by fifty other guests including tour guides, local administrators and journalists from both Italy and France. The experience thus proved to be not only a journey to discover the history and geography of the Savoy’s places, but an opportunity to compare the different needs and sensitivities of two territories seemingly far apart, but actually linked by a common background.
“We thank the French partners, and in particular the lead partner, Department of Savoie, for going out of their way to organize these days of activities.” Thus the director of the Association Le Terre dei Savoie, Elena Cerutti. “From this experience, the desire of both the partnership and the operators to create a real tourist destination, which can generate positive externalities on the territories and cities involved, has emerged even more strongly. We are not talking about a theoretical project, but rather a series of activities concretely rooted in the places and communities to which they pertain. Generating tourism means enhancing the widespread heritage and, of course, also bringing economic spin-offs, thus projecting long-term territorial growth.”
“A stimulating, enriching three days of exchange, comparison, listening, knowledge and discovery.” Silvia Cavallero continues on behalf of FAI Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano ETS. “These are, surely, the ingredients for a fruitful and lasting cross-border work, with a view to the best declination of the Savoy Experience destination. The French partners hosted and led us in an extraordinary way among expert stories, group activities and opportunities for discussion. Many thanks and see you in Italy for the second exchange event.”
Three days to learn and discover in an atmosphere of friendship and sharing, so that European planning can truly transcend borders and return the Alps to their former role as a hinge between peoples.