A proposal for regional development: towards a network of ‘Fortresses/Faro’ in the Alessandria area

This contribution presents a critical reflection and an operational proposal aimed at establishing a Network of Lighthouse Fortresses in the Alessandria area. Starting from the Citadel of Alessandria, the project intends to enhance the interconnected system of historical defensive architectures in Piedmont, following the principles of the Faro Convention (2005). The initiative is grounded in the concept of heritage as a common good to be shared, adopting a participatory and subsidiary approach to the management of historic-military assets. Fortresses are reinterpreted as community spaces, tools of attractiveness, and sites of cultural promotion, where local identities, memories, and symbols are preserved. The methodology unfolds in four phases: (1) diagnosis and documentation of the fortified heritage, including digital archives and historical cartography; (2) design and planning, through interdisciplinary collaboration and guidelines for sustainable reuse; (3) community involvement, activating Faro Heritage Communities, with workshops, heritage walks, and participatory mapping; (4) network activation and dissemination, integrating fortresses into transnational cultural circuits and funding frameworks (e.g., European structural funds). The operational program foresees the creation of a territorial network across Alessandria, Gavi, Casale Monferrato, Tortona, and Valenza – the latter two key elements in the “Entrenched Camp” during the Second War of Independence (1859). Institutional contacts with municipalities and the Piedmont Region have already been initiated. This model, based on heritage studies, territorial planning, and civic participation, is designed to be replicable and adaptable to other European contexts.