Academy on Cultural and Natural Sites as drivers of Sustainability and Global Citizenship 2026

Fondazione Santagata launches the X Edition of its Academy, set to take place between October and November 2026.

This year’s edition will feature an online intensive seminar and an in-person three-day workshop hosted in Sicily, with the support of UNESCO and thanks to the generous support of The Phoenicians’ Route – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

  • Applications by: 27 September 2026
  • Online kick-off seminar: October 2026 (TBD)
  • On-site workshop (Selinunte Archeaological Park, Sicily): 4 – 6 November 2026

For more further information, contact us at: riccardo.ramello@fondazionesantagata.it

FILL IN THE APPLICATION FORM

Context

The Academy on Cultural and Natural Sites as Drivers of Sustainability and Global Citizenship is a capacity-building programme launched in 2015 by Fondazione Santagata for the Economics of Culture and the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe.

Over the years, the programme has evolved to address the changing needs of cultural and natural heritage professionals worldwide. Between 2015 and 2025, nine international editions were held annually in Italy, involving approximately 200 professionals from about 60 countries who now form a global community of practitioners.

The programme aims to enhance knowledge exchange and disseminate good practices internationally, fostering more effective site management and maximising benefits for local communities. Through this work, the Academy directly contributes to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

The 2026 Edition: Western Sicily

The 2026 edition will take place in Western Sicily, with the province of Trapani as its hub and, in particular, Selinunte, Cave di Cusa, and Pantelleria Archaeological Park. Located near Castelvetrano, Selinunte, with approximately 377 hectares of protected area, is one of the largest archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. Other days will be hosted by the Lilibeo Marsala Archaeological Park, the Mothya Archaeological Island, and Mazara del Vallo, all in the Trapani province. 

Western Sicily offers an exceptional laboratory for exploring heritage challenges. Here, monumental archaeology, agricultural and coastal landscapes, fragile ecosystems, and living production traditions are not separate domains but a single interconnected system. This continuity between cultural heritage, natural heritage, and local production is the connecting thread of the 2026 edition.

  • Selinunte Archaeological Park & Castelvetrano Landscape
    An outstanding example of Magna Graecia, Selinunte preserves monumental temples, sanctuaries, the Agora, residential areas, and artisan quarters. Surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and protected coastline, the Park is closely connected to living local traditions, including olive oil, honey and the renowned Pane Nero di Castelvetrano.
  • Stagnone Lagoon, Marsala Salt Pans & Wine District
    The Stagnone Lagoon is one of the Mediterranean’s most distinctive coastal ecosystems, where historic salt production coexists with biodiversity conservation. Together with the Marsala wine district, it showcases the value of heritage-based production systems and the challenges of climate resilience for coastal landscapes.

Thematic Framework

The 2026 programme is structured around two interconnected thematic areas that reflect the challenges and opportunities of the western Sicily context.

  • Cultural Landscapes as Living Systems – Cultural landscapes are not static settings to be preserved, but living systems in which productive practices, local knowledge, biodiversity, and monumental heritage co-evolve over time. The challenge lies not only in protecting individual elements, but in understanding and managing the relationships that hold them together. When one of these relationships breaks (when an agricultural practice disappears, a community emigrates, or a form of knowledge is no longer transmitted) the whole system is impoverished.
  • Coastal Resilience and Heritage Economies – Mediterranean coastal communities and economies are today under pressure from multiple factors, including climate change and the abandonment of traditional practices. Yet it is precisely these “slow” practices — salt production, historic viticulture, artisanal fishing — that offer production models integrating environmental sustainability, cultural identity, and opportunities for sustainable development. The challenge is to understand how they can be valorised, and what role heritage can play in making them economically viable.

Programme Structure

Building on the successful blended format developed in previous editions, the 2026 Academy will feature:

Phase 1: Online Warm-up Seminar

An intensive online session introducing: the thematic framework and territorial context, keynote speeches from international experts on cultural landscapes, coastal resilience, and heritage entrepreneurship, methodological tools for heritage and sustainability analysis.

Phase 2: On-site Workshop (3 days)

The on-site workshop will take place in Western Sicily in November 2026. The programme combines field visits, expert sessions, peer exchange, and collaborative group work structured around the two thematic areas:

  • Day 1 – Cultural Landscapes as Living Systems: field visit to Selinunte Archaeological Park and its surrounding landscape, session on integrating heritage with local production, and group work.
  • Day 2 – Coastal Resilience and Heritage Economies: field visit to the Stagnone Lagoon and Mothya Island, Marsala salt and wine district, sessions on coastal ecosystem management and heritage entrepreneurship, and group work.
  • Day 3 – Restitution and Wrap-up: working group presentations, collective reflection on transferable lessons, and a public closing session with local institutions in Mazara del Vallo.

Challenges for Participants

Participants will collaborate in teams on specific challenges rooted in the western Sicily context, developing and presenting practical solutions:

  • Challenge 1: Coastal heritage conservation and climate adaptation at Selinunte
  • Challenge 2: Heritage-driven sustainable tourism across western Sicily
  • Challenge 3: Cultural entrepreneurship and local productions as drivers of territorial identity

Target audience and application criteria

The 2026 edition is open to 20 professionals from around the world. The selection process ensures diversity of geography, expertise, and sector. Eligible applicants include:

  • Managers and operators of archaeological parks, UNESCO sites, and cultural or natural heritage locations
  • Local and regional authority representatives responsible for heritage, territorial development, and climate adaptation
  • Professionals from cultural organisations, museums, and creative industries
  • Researchers working on heritage management, climate resilience, and sustainable tourism
  • Tourism and territorial development practitioners

To apply: FILL IN THE APPLICATION FORM

Expected outcomes

Enhanced professional competencies in the integrated management of cultural landscapes and coastal heritage systems

  •   Strengthened international network of heritage and sustainability professionals
  •   Practical tools for connecting heritage conservation, local production, and regenerative tourism strategies
  •   Actionable recommendations for the Selinunte Archaeological Park and the Western Sicily heritage system
  •   Contribution to the global community of practitioners advancing the 2030 Agenda through heritage

Costs

Accommodation (on-site workshop) [Covered]Provided by the organisers for the three-day workshop in Sicily.
Travel costs [Participant’s expense]All travel to and from Sicily must be covered by participants.
Other expenses [Participant’s expense]Additional meals and personal costs are at participants’ own expense.

Contact Information

For further enquiries, please contact: riccardo.ramello@fondazionesantagata.it