Traces, rituals, narrative. Design for the territory

In 2019, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee proclaimed the transhumance intangible cultural heritage of humanity: an important recognition that confirms the social, economic, historical and environmental value of pastoralism in Italy. An immaterial heritage, which materializes through heterogeneous traces and objective evidence of tools, clothing, iconographic, photographic, biological and archival sources. The paper focuses on the role of design in the narration of this heritage. The role of design is to mend relationships and contrasts with the traces overlapped in the history, through sensitive storytelling that can also become a stimulus for a revival of tradition in a contemporary key. It describes part of the project Cambio Via, an Interreg Italy-France Maritime Programme, led by Regione Liguria. The aim is to use design tools to interpret local contexts and develop products and services that can promote local policies, supporting resilient communities that operate and live in fragile areas.