PROJECTS
Land(e)scape the disabilities – A landscape for all
The initiative addressed accessibility not simply as the physical adaptation of spaces, but as an integrated process of inclusion, capable of connecting places, services, communication and tools for heritage interpretation.
The project aimed to make the encounter between people and landscape easier, encouraging an informed enjoyment of the places of wine and enhancing the UNESCO site as an open, welcoming and legible space for diverse audiences, with particular attention to people with motor, sensory and perceptual disabilities and, more generally, to all those with specific access and visiting needs.
An initial phase of the project was dedicated to the survey of the “places of wine” across the UNESCO territory, with the aim of identifying and assessing places, services and itineraries capable of offering more accessible visiting conditions.
Thanks to the involvement of the association SportAbili Alba and qualified testers, including Francesca Fenocchio, Valentina Alessandria and Fausto De Piccoli, a geolocated map of accessible places and routes was created, covering significant sites distributed across the different components of the UNESCO property.
The mapping included, among others, Grinzane Cavour Castle, WiMu – Wine Museum in Barolo, the Tower of Barbaresco, the Regional Enoteca of Barbaresco, the Produttori del Barbaresco winery, the Infernot of Rosignano Monferrato, the Regional Enoteca of Nizza Monferrato, Palazzo del Gusto, the Asti Turismo Tourist Information Office in Nizza Monferrato, the Underground Cathedral of Contratto in Canelli, the Regional Enoteca of Canelli and Astesana, and MUSA – Multimedia Museum of Southern Asti.
This activity represented a fundamental step in building a concrete and shared understanding of the territory’s accessibility, supporting future improvements and a broader capacity for welcoming visitors.
Among the most significant outcomes of the project was the creation of the exhibition “Sensory Route through Langhe-Roero and Monferrato”, conceived as an accessible and inclusive tool for interpreting the values of the UNESCO site.
The exhibition was designed according to a multisensory approach, with accessible panels, content also available through audio narration, and a tactile route dedicated to objects, materials and elements related to the wine-making chain and the rural vineyard landscape of Piedmont.
Entirely modular and reversible, the exhibition was conceived to be hosted in different places across the territory, encouraging the circulation of its contents and the spread of a culture of accessibility capable of reaching different audiences.
The route made it possible to present the six components of the UNESCO site through multiple languages and media, making the visiting experience more engaging, inclusive and participatory.
As part of the project, the first virtual tour of the Vineyard Landscapes of Piedmont was also created, designed to broaden access to heritage through digital tools.
The six components of the UNESCO site – Langa of Barolo, Grinzane Cavour Castle, Hills of Barbaresco, Nizza Monferrato and Barbera, Canelli and Asti Spumante, and Monferrato of the Infernot – were made accessible through videos, images and 360° environments, offering an immersive way to explore the site even remotely.
This tool helped to expand the site’s potential audience, strengthening the link between accessibility, innovation and interpretation of the cultural landscape.
The project also led to the drafting of the “Guidelines for the accessibility of the vineyard landscapes of Piedmont”, developed in collaboration with IsITT – Italian Institute for Accessible Tourism.
The publication represents both an operational and cultural tool for local administrators, tourism and cultural operators, associations, public bodies and private stakeholders involved in the management, communication and enhancement of heritage.
The guidelines offer reflections, criteria and practical solutions to support the development of a more aware and inclusive territorial system, capable of responding in a flexible and creative way to the diverse needs of users.
From this perspective, accessibility is interpreted as a strategic lever to improve the overall quality of the visitor experience and strengthen the role of the UNESCO site as open, shared and generative heritage.
The project left behind a rich set of tools and contents: a geolocated map of accessible places and routes, a travelling multisensory exhibition, an immersive 360° virtual tour, and a publication of accessibility guidelines.
Taken together, these outputs have helped to strengthen a vision of the UNESCO landscape as accessible, inclusive and shared heritage, capable of welcoming diverse audiences and promoting new relationships between territory, communities and visitors.
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