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Best Practice

Hisn al-Giran has been managing the Byzantine Village area owned by the Regional Department of Rural and Territorial Development since June 2012.

The goal of the association is, from the beginning, to expand its reach throughout the entire territory of Calascibetta, enhancing it through cultural events aimed at community involvement and beyond.

Their Association is involved on a voluntary basis in the maintenance and cleaning of trails, fire roads, rest areas, points of interest, parking area and toilets.

In September 2012, they also carried out initial work on the entire archaeological area, equipping it with educational panels and signage in order to facilitate its use.

They take care of visitor reception at our Info Point and organize for them excursions archaeo-naturalistic day trips to discover an extraordinary archaeological and naturalistic heritage.

Excursions can be conducted in Italian, English and French, and by reservation also in German and Russian, with the support of native speakers; active also the guide options in LIS, thanks to the support of a communication assistant.

Organization

Hisn al-Giran

The non-profit Hisn al-Giran Cultural Association was founded in Calascibetta in July 2011 to promote and enhance the Xibetan territory, through excursions and cultural events. The name of the association is of Arabic origin, and refers to a type of Berber rock villages, still frequent in parts of North Africa, and located in places that are not always easy to access. They manage the area of the Byzantine Village of Vallone Canalotto, a site that is part of the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark and a place of high historical, archaeological and naturalistic interest.
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Impact

The tourist impact of the site is very important because it brings a flow of visitors to the Calascibetta area that would otherwise be totally excluded from the usual tourist routes. The most difficult challenge to face was, in the late 1990s, once the site was discovered, getting it recognized as an important archaeological settlement. Until that time, in fact, this had mostly been used by shepherds as a shelter for livestock, or as a storehouse for cold cuts and cheese.

Sustainability

The association’s ongoing commitment is the maintenance and cleaning of trails, fire roads, rest areas, points of interest, parking area and restrooms. They also always try to promote sustainable, slow-paced tourism that respects the environment around us. Since it is a voluntary-based model, it is certainly replicable, especially by institutions and associations with financial means, at any site of archaeological, natural and cultural value.

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