On 5 August 2026, the Baden Powell Municipal Library in Camerano hosted the presentation of the book “Camerano e la città sotterranea. Gestire la transizione dall’artigianato al turismo (Camerano and the Underground City: Managing the Transition from Craftsmanship to Tourism)”, published by CNR Edizioni in the Heritage and Community Identity series. The event offered an opportunity to present the results of the multidisciplinary research developed within the COST Action Underground4Value – Underground Built Heritage as Catalyser for Community Valorisation and to discuss the past, present and future of Camerano’s Underground City.
The book provides the first comprehensive analysis of the “Camerano Model”, examining the transformation of the town’s underground heritage from a largely local and craft-related environment into an important cultural and tourism resource. Particular attention is given to the role of underground heritage in strengthening local identity and supporting more sustainable forms of tourism and territorial development.
The meeting brought together representatives of the local administration and researchers involved in the project. Speakers included Oriano Mercante, Mayor of Camerano; Giacomo Marincioni, Councillor for Tourism of the Municipality of Camerano; Giuseppe Pace, Scientific Coordinator of the CNR Heritage and Community Identity series; and the editors of the volume, Ernesto Marcheggiani, Professor at Università Politecnica delle Marche, and Francesco Paci, PhD at Università Politecnica delle Marche. The discussion also focused on the future of the Underground City and on the opportunities and challenges related to its conservation, interpretation, management and sustainable valorisation. The event confirmed the importance of Camerano’s underground heritage not only as a cultural attraction, but also as a key element of the town’s identity and as a resource around which research, local knowledge, tourism and community development can come together.