Fondazione Santagata’s Ongoing Commitment in the Western Balkans

12 May 2025 – Fondazione Santagata is reinforcing its long-standing engagement in the Western Balkans through a series of initiatives focused on the protection and sustainable development of cultural heritage. By combining academic research, policy expertise, and fieldwork, the Foundation continues to support institutions and communities across the region in leveraging culture as a driver of innovation, cohesion, and local development.

Recent Missions: Artana and Mostar

In Artana, Kosovo, Fondazione Santagata is conducting fieldwork as part of the Project for the Restoration, Conservation, and Update of the Conservation Plan for the Artana Fortress. In collaboration with ALB-architect and under the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Kosovo, the project aims to deliver an inclusive and internationally aligned management strategy for the historic Artana/Novobërda Castle and its surrounding area.

Meanwhile, in Mostar, the Foundation participated in a capacity-building activity part of the UNESCO initiative “Fighting against the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property in the Western Balkans”. Fondazione Santagata is acting as an independent evaluator, assessing the overall project’s effectiveness and long-term impact on heritage protection and institutional capacity building.

A Broader, Long-Term Vision

These activities are part of a broader and ongoing commitment to cultural development in the region, which includes:

• The Destination Management Plan for Berat Castle (Albania), developed with the Albanian-American Development Foundation, to promote sustainable tourism while respecting the site’s UNESCO World Heritage status;
• The Management Plan for the former Spaç Prison, commissioned by Cultural Heritage without Borders – Albania, aimed at transforming a site of memory into a center for civic education and community engagement;
• A regional assessment of cultural policies, commissioned by UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, which identifies opportunities for policy improvement and guides future capacity-building efforts.

Culture-led Development

Across all initiatives, Fondazione Santagata applies a research-based and interdisciplinary approach—combinig cultural planning, stakeholder engagement, and policy analysis. This methodology ensures that cultural heritage is not only safeguarded, but activated as a key resource for sustainable development, democratic resilience, and international cooperation.

As global attention turns increasingly to culture as a tool for inclusive growth, the Western Balkans remain a priority region where Fondazione Santagata will continue to invest knowledge, expertise, and collaborative energy.