Last Monday, December 15, at the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome, the state of implementation of the first Intangible Cultural Heritage Census was presented. This nationwide project is dedicated to mapping, safeguarding, and enhancing the cultural expressions that represent the deep roots of Italian communities.

A heritage made up of rituals, traditions, knowledge, practices, local products, events, floral displays, and historical processions, telling the story of an Italy that is often less visible, yet essential to the construction of collective identity and to sustainable cultural and tourism development.

Launched in 2023, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Census is promoted by UNPLI – National Union of Pro Loco of Italy, in collaboration with ANCI and the Central Institute for Intangible Heritage (ICPI), under the supervision of the Italian Ministry of Culture.

The project is aligned with the 2003 UNESCO Convention, which recognizes the value of intangible cultural heritage as a key element in the transmission of identities, social cohesion, and the sustainable development of territories.

During the event, it was also presented Radiciculturali.it, the digital platform that gives concrete form to the census and mapping work. Conceived as an open and evolving container, the platform strengthens the connection between communities, territories, and cultural memory.

To date, the portal includes over 30.000 elements of intangible cultural heritage, organized into 9 thematic categories and 43 subcategories, involving approximately 3.000 museums and ecomuseums and the active contribution of 2.628 experts, scholars, and volunteers. In addition, 6 thematic networks have been activated and more than 3,000 images have been collected, creating a living, accessible, and shared archive.

Since early 2024, BIA has overseen the design and development of the Radiciculturali.it platform, ensuring its continuous implementation and regular updates over time.

The platform is structured to allow Pro Loco organizations and participating entities to upload descriptive records of local intangible heritage through ID-based access. On the front end, a navigable map and multiple search filters enable users to explore content in an intuitive and dynamic way.

A key aspect of BIA’s work also concerns interoperability with existing archives: Radiciculturali.it currently integrates nine external archives, a significant result made possible by the network of relationships built together with project partners.

During the event, institutions and representatives from the cultural sector reaffirmed the strategic value of intangible cultural heritage as a living resource, capable of strengthening community identity and generating new development opportunities, particularly for small villages and areas less affected by traditional tourism flows.

The presentation of the Census marked an important moment of public accountability for a collective effort that places local communities at the center as active custodians of memory, and institutions as facilitators of processes of protection and enhancement.

The project demonstrates how intangible heritage does not belong solely to the past, but continues to generate cultural, social, and economic value for the future of territories and the communities that inhabit them.