A week in Castelbuono: inspiration, traditions and lots of panettone

We’ve just returned from a Study Visit in Castelbuono, a small and charming medieval village in the heart of Sicily, surrounded by the stunning Madonie Natural Park. It’s been an intense week, full of meetings, learning and discoveries, and also a space to weave new connections and European projects.

We were lucky to take part in the organization of the project from the very beginning, joining the preparatory visit and supporting Lucrezia, Fabrizio and the whole Social Green Hub team, for whom this was their first Erasmus+ project. Sharing our experience and helping them take the first steps made everything flow naturally and with great enthusiasm.

What inspired us the most was getting to know the Social Green Hub coworking project, the first public coworking space in rural Italy, operating since 2020. This place is more than a workspace; it has become a real laboratory of social innovation, fostering collaboration, creativity and opportunities for people to work remotely in a rural area. Seeing such an ambitious initiative grow in a small village reminded us that challenges like depopulation and lack of opportunities for young people are not unique to Sicily, we face similar ones in Valdeorras. The difference lies in the ideas and the courage of those who dare to innovate.

Throughout the week we explored the work of many local organizations. We visited the Ypsigrock festival and spoke with its organizers, learning how an international event can coexist with village life and transform its reality (for almost thirty years!). We also visited the Castle of Castelbuono and its museum, the Proloco promoting the town, and the Minà Palumbo Naturalistic Museum, dedicated to the study and preservation of local fauna and flora. There we learned about manna, a white resin extracted from a native tree that grows only in this area, a truly unique natural product in the world.

Our visit to Spazioscena was another unforgettable experience: we took part in an improvised theatre activity using white masks, exploring body expression and creativity in a playful and collaborative way. It was a powerful discovery of how culture and art can be tools for personal empowerment.

We also visited the town hall, where we learned how the local administration supports and coordinates such a variety of initiatives, and had the chance to ask plenty of questions to the mayor himself, who showed us the most international side of his town.

One of the things that surprised us most was the variety and number of projects coexisting in such a small village: festivals, cultural spaces, social and creative enterprises, and innovative local businesses. And of course, we cannot forget the famous Fiasconaro panettone, which was kindly gifted to every participant.

To close the week, we organized MATCHMAKING MADONIE: LET’S COLLAB, a networking event that gathered associations from Palermo, different corners of Sicily and local young people curious to learn more about Erasmus+ and European cooperation. It was a truly inspiring moment to share ideas, connect and open the door to future collaborations.

We returned home with the feeling that even the smallest places can give birth to bold and transformative projects. Castelbuono inspired us to see that the challenges of depopulation and youth migration can turn into opportunities when there’s creativity, collaboration, and a genuine will to make things happen. And yes, a good panettone definitely helps spark inspiration!

“Rural Empowerment Network – Connecting and Innovating Rural Areas” is an Erasmus+ project co-funded by the European Union, organized by Social Green Hub in collaboration with Valdeorras Vive.