Roscigno Vecchia, the abandoned historic center of Roscigno in the province of Salerno, is at the center of a relaunch plan that would turn it into a distributed open-air museum and a permanent laboratory for cultural experimentation.
The proposal is being developed through an agreement involving the Soprintendenza ABAP for Salerno and Avellino, the Municipality of Roscigno and the Pro Loco Roscigno Vecchia. Reporting describes the agreement as forthcoming, not as a formally signed act.
A participatory heritage project
According to the reporting, the plan emphasizes participatory heritage protection, community involvement and a stronger relationship between residents and their territory. A possible outcome discussed in the coverage is the establishment of a “heritage community.”
The initiative follows a technical meeting held in June 2026 with institutions, universities and local social actors. That discussion referred to the Faro Convention and the Olivetti Plan for Culture as broader policy frames for community participation, sustainable tourism, walking routes and local stewardship.
No confirmed budget, construction programme, governance structure or completion date has been reported. The sources also do not specify which buildings or areas would be restored, adapted or given new interpretation.
What already exists
Roscigno Vecchia already has a cultural base for the project. The Museo della Civiltà Contadina holds approximately 800 objects recovered from the abandoned village and documents traditional agricultural and craft activities.
The local heritage steward is the Pro Loco Roscigno Vecchia APS. It has maintained cultural and tourism activity in the village since 1983 and created the “Città Museo Roscigno Vecchia” project in 1995.
Sustainable circuits and wider territory
Reader-useful context from the June discussion includes proposed directions rather than approved works: sustainable visitor circuits, hiking routes and integration with the nearby Monte Pruno archaeological heritage.
These ideas point to a visit built around slow exploration of the village and its surrounding territory, rather than a single restored monument. Their effects on tourism, employment, depopulation and local revenue remain projections, not measured outcomes.
Planning a visit
The Municipality of Roscigno states that access to the museum is free, with public opening listed for Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00–12:00 and 16:30–18:30. That information was last updated on 26 March 2025, so visitors should verify current hours with the municipality or Pro Loco before travelling.
For now, Roscigno Vecchia remains a place where the next phase is still being defined: a proposed open-air museum shaped by institutions, researchers and the local community, building on four decades of local cultural work.
