World Café in Gramolazzo (Minucciano)

On December 14, 2024, Minucciano hosted the first participatory meeting in Tuscany, and at the national level, organized according to the international methodology of the "World Café." The event, resulting from the collaboration between the Municipality of Minucciano and the Tuscany Region, marked the beginning of an important path within the BAUHAUS4MED project, which involves several Euro-Mediterranean areas and is based on the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB).

The Tuscany Region, through the BAUHAUS4MED project, has chosen Minucciano and the hamlet of Gramolazzo as a testing ground to experiment with development models that, inspired by the principles of the NEB, can improve the resilience of the area, promoting sustainability and social inclusion, with a strong focus on beauty as an added value.

The World Café: An Opportunity for Participation and Sharing

The meeting on December 14 inaugurated a process that will involve the Minucciano community in a long-term project, which will conclude in 2026. The World Café represented the starting point of a participatory process that saw the active involvement of citizens, local administrators, experts, and representatives of various institutions.

The event was characterized by two main collective discussion sessions:

• Discussion #1: Analysis of the local challenges facing Minucciano and other inland areas of Garfagnana, with a focus on issues such as demographic decline and access to services.

• Discussion #2: Identification of potential development pathways through the principles of the New European Bauhaus, particularly sustainability, inclusion, and beauty. The goal is to transform challenges into opportunities for growth and improvement of local quality of life.

The December 14 meeting was organized with the technical assistance of the company XR8 of Massa and saw the active participation of the Department of Architecture at the University of Florence (DiDA), a key partner in the project, which will contribute with its expertise in design and the implementation of local actions.

Event Program

• 9:30 - Participant registration and welcome coffee

• 9:45 - Institutional greetings: Mario Puppa, Regional Councilor, Nicola Poli, Mayor of Minucciano, and University of Florence

• 10:00 - Start of the World Café: Introduction to the theme of the day (Bauhaus/local challenges)

• 10:30 - Discussion #1: Reflecting on the "turbulence" in the Minucciano area and other inland areas of Garfagnana

• 11:15 - 15-minute break

• 11:30 - Discussion #2: How to transform challenges into development opportunities, through sustainability, inclusion, and beauty

• 12:15 - 15-minute break

• 12:30 - Feedback in plenary and discussion of results

• 13:30 - End of works

The December 14 meeting represents only the first step of a long journey that, throughout 2025, will further involve the community and local stakeholders. The BAUHAUS4MED project will provide the opportunity to define and implement development strategies that concretely address the needs of the territory, leveraging the principles of the New European Bauhaus to build a more sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful future for Minucciano and Garfagnana.

This project is an important opportunity for the Municipality of Minucciano and the Tuscany Region to emerge as an example of good local development practices, able to combine tradition and innovation, preserving cultural and natural heritage while simultaneously preparing the community for the challenges of the future.