Rittma supports the Municipality of Gerace in organising the Gerace Heritage Lab.

The medieval town of Gerace, located in Calabria, was selected as the winner of “Line A” of the National Villages Plan funding call, part of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), securing €20 million for a project focused on its cultural, social and economic regeneration. To advance this strategy and prepare a future nomination of its heritage for UNESCO recognition, the municipality organised the “Gerace Heritage Lab” from 22 to 26 June, an international workshop dedicated to sharing good practices and expertise in heritage management and safeguarding.

Within this demanding international context, Rittma supported the organisation of the event, facilitating the participation of the Municipalities of Évora and Guimarães, which shared their experience of UNESCO-recognised heritage.

Paulo Faria, Managing Partner at Rittma, also joined the panel of invited speakers for the thematic session on cultural routes and community development. His presentation explored the case of Barcelos, a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, demonstrating how international recognition can become a driver of locally led territorial development.

During the presentation, Rittma emphasised that UNESCO recognition is not a standalone strategy, but a catalyst requiring sustained investment, a long-term vision and strong local governance. The company shared valuable lessons from Barcelos’s creative ecosystem, highlighting the importance of translating symbolic prestige into measurable economic and social benefits for residents and local craftspeople.

Through this participation, Rittma strengthens its position as a strategic partner in territorial development, helping networks and municipalities turn their development ambitions into tangible benefits for communities.