NEBVOICES Gradara Team
Filippo Gasperi
Mayor of Gradara
Sara Benvenuti
Director of education department at Gradara Innova
Federico Mammarela
Director of Gradara Innova
About Gradara
Gradara is a small medieval town in the Marche region, located between the hills and the Adriatic Sea, on the border between Marche and Emilia-Romagna. It is best known for its fortress and its perfectly preserved fortified village, which tell centuries of Italian history, art and identity. Gradara is also linked to the legend of Paolo and Francesca, narrated by Dante in the Divine Comedy, which has made the town a symbolic place of love, memory and European culture.
Today, Gradara is not only a cultural and tourist destination, but also a living community committed to enhancing its heritage, promoting urban regeneration, encouraging citizen participation, and developing innovative projects that bring together history, contemporary creativity, education and sustainability. In this sense, Gradara represents an example of a small European town capable of transforming its historical legacy into an open and forward-looking vision.
Strong cooperation with civil society
Gradara has a strong and well-established cooperation with civil society organisations and local associations, which play an essential role in community life and civic participation. One of the main tools for coordination is the Forum delle Associazioni, a permanent roundtable where, every two months, all local associations meet with the Municipality to share ideas, plan events, coordinate calendars and develop collaborations. This cooperation is particularly visible during “I Giovedì al Castello”, the medieval evenings organised every Thursday in summer with the support of Pro Loco Gradara and historical re-enactment associations such as Corte Malatestiana, Corpo di Guardia di Gradara and Associazione Danze Antiche.
The Municipality also works closely with the Corpo Bandistico di Gradara and its music school for concerts and cultural activities throughout the year; with AVIS, the blood donors’ association, for school workshops and awareness initiatives on blood and organ donation; with the local Civil Protection group, which supports the community during emergencies, natural events and large public gatherings; with the Town Twinning Committee, which helps maintain active relations with Gradara’s twin towns; and with AUSER, which provides support to elderly citizens through home visits, transport to medical appointments, shopping assistance and social activities, including seaside trips organised with the municipal transport service. The Municipality supports these organisations by providing premises and annual financial contributions, recognising them as key partners in building a more inclusive, active and cohesive community.
