Cultural heritage as stones of memory. The recovery of archives in the area of the Marche crater

The seismic events of Central Italy in 2016 and 2017 interrupted the lifeblood of many territories between the Marche, Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo. The most affected zone included the area of the Sibillini Mountains and the upper Tronto valley. Even if the emergency state is now over, there are still many interventions to be undertaken. Unsurprisingly, the first allocation of funds was directed to the physical reconstruction of the territories, but it is also essential to deal with the recuperation of social recollection and identity. For this reason, an integrated reading of cultural heritage (archives, libraries and museums) was essential to guarantee the survival of the memories of those communities that were significantly damaged or even completely destroyed. Hence, the need to create a scientific project shared between territories and stakeholders aimed at preserving the vast documentary heritage that remains in highly precarious conditions. A first phase of the project was dedicated to the recovery, description, reorganisation and cataloguing of selected archives; subsequently, a second phase of the project will be aimed at reconstructing the identity of the communities damaged by seismic events through a narrative path and an educational strand, so that citizens can fully understand how the possible loss of archives is also the equivalent of a loss of memory itself. Stones of memory is a project dedicated to cultural heritage so as to avoid losing the material and immaterial value that the institutes and places of culture preserve as the principal aim of their mission. This chapter examines the methodological principles and the actions related to this project dedicated to the recovery of archives in the area of the Marche crater. This contribution presents the planning phases of the first two projects begun in the municipalities of Urbisaglia and Ussita. Furthermore, it analyses a case of musealization (SI) and the recovery of local memory