Good practice:

The Martinsicuro Ecomuseum of the Sea and of Fishing

The Ecomuseum of the Sea and of Fishing of the Municipality of Martinsicuro (Teramo), born thanks to the sensitivity of the Municipal Administration and the efforts of the Martinpescatori Association, represents what the territory is, and what its inhabitants are, starting from the living culture of the people, from their environment, from what they have inherited from the past, from what they love and that they want shown to their guests and pass on to their children.
With photos and objects made available by older fishermen, an attempt is made to trace the history of fishing in Martinsicuro.
In the area of the marina where the boats of local fishermen dock, in five rooms, nets, traps, winches, baskets, buoys, compasses, old radars and nautical charts, photos and everything that can talk about how to fish are exhibited.
The Ecomuseum studies, protects and preserves the collective memory of the fishing community of Martinsicuro, one of the historic Adriatic marinas. Traditional objects of large and small fishing with their dialect names and a section dedicated to new techniques. In addition, in the rooms of the museum the bridge of a fishing boat was rebuilt where children can experience the thrill of commanding a boat. The Association that manages the museum promotes meetings with schools and organizes a very popular Fish Festival in the summer where recipes based on traditional techniques are proposed again.

Annual budget is € 3.500 with 2 persons hired by the Municipality of Martinsicuro and 4/6 people hired by Martinpescatori Association

Visitors are 500 (more or less) per year. In 2018, the Ecomuseum has took part in the “Goletta Oloferne tour”, an historic ship used for educational activities that spreads, throughout Italy, the culture of sailing as an educational tool for young people and which sailed from the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian making stops in the cities and villages of sailors and fishermen to make known and enhance the cultural heritage preserved in museums and maritime seats like that of Martinsicuro.

It is essential a training plan to transfer cultural heritage to new generations and to preserve anthropological e social asset of fisherman. Lack and instability in finance planning. Lack of practitioners in traditional kills and specialists in the field of intangible cultural heritage

The Ecomuseum aims to support and empower the local community to develop and manage its own heritage, helping it to conserve its resources and traditions, while encouraging tourists and community members alike to enjoy visiting and utilizing ecomuseum sites. The Ecomuseum is also formed from the participation of three major agency groups, personnel, visitors, and local inhabitants and their interactions and relations with the Sea and of Fishing objects and heritage of the Martinsicuro community and place.
Ecomuseums aims then to support a community in managing its own heritage, helping it to conserve its resources and traditions, while encouraging tourists and community members alike to enjoy visiting and utilizing ecomuseum sites.
The Martinsicuro Ecomuseum of the Sea and of Fishing has already inspired the creation of other Sea and Fishing Ecomuseums, such as the one in Tortoreto (Teramo, Abruzzo)