Interreg Italy - Slovenia Dante

DANTE is dedicated to the important values of communication in national languages, to the broadening of the use of the Slovene and Italian languages through the establishment, mapping and networking of literary routes and stakeholders in the programme area. The project is based on the founder of the Italian literary language, Dante Alighieri, and his presence in the cross-border area, as his work represents a heritage of fundamental values in which we still recognise ourselves today. His work The Divine Comedy is a poetic encyclopedia of all medieval knowledge and was also created in the present-day area of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Posočje. The poet is known to have visited this area. Dante moved between northern Italian cities after his expulsion from his native Florence. During these years he probably spent some time in the old Castle of Duino near Trieste. It is thought that on this occasion he also came to Tolmin, where he was hosted by the Patriarch of Aquileia, Pagano Della Torre. The project's lead partner, the Municipality of Izola, historically substantiates the presence of Dante through the manuscript, as the National Library of the Marciana in Venice holds Dante's Codex, which was written in Izola. This cross-border shared history serves as a starting point for the project, which aims to establish a cross-border DANTE literary trail. The literary trail will offer 5 one-day short trails, which together will form a whole and will be designed on the basis of 5 interactive interpretative cultural trails using the storytelling method. DANTE aims at an innovative interpretation of the heritage according to the New European Bauhaus method, as this heritage has yet not been digitised and presented in a modern way. The common challenge for the cross-border region is to promote and strengthen the tangible and intangible cultural heritage and to strengthen the role of culture as a tool for the overall well-being of people in the processes of economic and social development, including sustainable cultural tourism.

The DANTE project contributes to the advancement of research in the fields of literary studies, cultural heritage, sustainable tourism, and contemporary approaches to heritage interpretation. The project develops innovative models of cross-border literary tourism based on storytelling methods, participatory stakeholder engagement, and the digital interpretation of cultural heritage. An important contribution of the project is also the integration of humanities and social sciences research with practices in cultural management, sustainable development, and the cultural and creative industries.

The DANTE project enhances the international visibility of Slovenian cultural heritage and promotes the development of sustainable cultural tourism in the cross-border area between Slovenia and Italy. The project contributes to the development of new cultural and tourism products, connects local communities, research organisations, and cultural institutions, and promotes the use of the Slovenian language and cross-border cultural cooperation. The project results will contribute to the development of sustainable tourism, regional development, and the international promotion of Slovenian cultural heritage.