“On the Steps of Aeneas: a common cultural heritage between Italy and Turkey”. Coordinated by the President of the Aeneas Route Association, Giovanni Cafiero, “On the Steps of Aeneas” was funded by the European Union in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
The project is developed by the Aeneas Route Association, in partnership with the Sapienza University of Rome and the Municipality of Edremit (Turkey), as part of the Common Cultural Heritage between the European Union and Turkey (IPA-II). It is part of the Civil Society Dialogue program, and it constitutes one of the many international collaboration activities promoted and coordinated by the Association.
Its goals rely on the idea that culture plays a fundamental role in promoting dialogue and cooperation. With this in mind, it integrates two main objectives: the dialogue between civil society and institutions and the enhancement of a common European culture.
The project activities include the creation of an interactive digital platform called ARISTE (Aeneas Route Information System for Tourism and Education) on the theme of the journey of the Trojan hero. It illustrates the mythological story, the route, and the sites of the stages with their archaeological, monumental, and landscape heritage, with contents aimed above all at the education of young people and the promotion of tourism. The platform will include:
- the 360° virtual tours made in Italy and Turkey.
- video and photographic material of works and cultural sites with suggesting experiences of experiential tourism, by sea and by land, which can contribute to the tourist development of the sites of the Route of Aeneas.
- educational content aimed to promote and share the knowledge of the myth of Aeneas through literature, art, and archeology.
The project aims to make the Cultural Itinerary and its cultural heritage one opportunity for cultural exchange and dialogue and to deepen the possibilities of applying new digital technologies to share our cultural heritage.
One of the main components of the project was the International Conference held in Edremit (Turkey) on October 26, 2021, “Aeneas in the Troad and Lazio: myth and archeology.” The summary of the conference results will be available in an informative form through the ARISTE platform for dissemination to a larger audience and to schools.
The platform will be released online in June 2022. It constitutes a first important realization that can replicate and expand with new projects. The Association will provide its skill to the network to produce and insert new video materials, and interactive virtual tours for other sites of the Route of Aeneas, in Greece, Albania, Tunisia, and Italy.
