In the heart of the Dauni Mountains, on the border between Puglia and Campania, a small community has found the key to reversing the trend of depopulation. Celle di San Vito, the least populated municipality in Puglia with an official population of just 144 inhabitants (and around a hundred actual residents during the year), has become an unexpected success story of digital communication.
Without schools, hospitals and with essential services reduced to the bare essentials – only one grocery store, a bar-restaurant, the post office open every other day and visits to the general practitioner limited to once a week – the village has transformed into a tourist destination thanks to the spontaneity of its people. Published since July on the Celle di San Vito Informa page, the short films starring the citizens themselves in the role of promoters of their own territory have exceeded 1.2 million views, generating a direct impact on the local economy with the b&b and municipal hotel sold out.
The impact on tourism and the vision of the municipal administration
The growth of interest in the Foggia village has led the number of presences to exceed 300 guests during the summer season. The territorial relaunch initiative is personally supported by the mayor Maria Palma Giannini and the deputy mayor Claudia Del Giudice, committed to shining the spotlight on the natural resources and hospitality of the area.
As underlined by the first citizen, the primary objective remains that of guaranteeing a sustainable future in Celle di San Vito, leveraging the beauty of the surrounding woods, the quality of life and the freshness of the evening climate. The strategies implemented for the consolidation of the project also include the creation of the digital library of the Celone Valley, an initiative promoted by the local administration, managed by the company Officineventi and financed through the resources of the PNRR for the Attractiveness of Villages.
The “People” conference and the debate on internal areas
The results of the communication campaign and the development prospects of small towns were placed at the center of the event People: beyond numbers, countries are peopleorganized in the hall of the Castle of Celle di San Vito. The meeting brought together local administrators and professionals from the creative sector to analyze the model adopted. Taking part in the debate were the first citizens of the neighboring municipalities, the president of the GAL Meridaunia, the president of the National Coordination of Small Municipalities and Gianfilippo Mignogna, leader of the association Dalla parte dei Paese.
