Pro Loco
Pro loco (Latin for the place ) is an association initiative that is active throughout Italy and has set itself the goal of maintaining the local traditions of their own community. As a rule, the aim is to promote local gastronomy on the basis of typical products and handicrafts, the organization of theater plays and music events on the basis of individual regional history and the organization of festivals in accordance with local traditions, for example the Sagra or the Palio of Patronage festivals, harvest festivals, nativity scene exhibitions and Christmas markets. In this way, Pro Loco has revitalized numerous traditions that were cultivated in the past but have been forgotten locally in the present. The first Pro-Loco group was founded in Pieve Tesino in 1881 .
organization
There are around 6000 individual initiatives , which are grouped under the umbrella organization UNPLI ( Unione Nazionale delle Pro Loco d'Italia ). There is Pro Loco everywhere in Italy, but especially in smaller towns and cities that are exposed to the danger of neglect in the vicinity of the main tourist attractions, for example in Veneto in the shadow of Venice , in southern Tuscany in the shadow of Florence or in Lazio in the shade the capital of Rome .
In contrast to the official Italian organizations for the promotion of tourism, this is a grassroots movement , which usually came about on the initiative of the respective local population. It is financed from the members' contributions.
aims
It is primarily a matter of upgrading one's own community. The organization usually publishes a brochure in the respective municipality in which it advertises local restaurants, handicrafts, shops and other activities that adhere to the traditions of the respective locality in a special way. The subjectivity of the selection process is sometimes criticized in this respect.
The promotion of tourism is only of secondary importance. However, the realization of the goals for the local population usually also results in a higher degree of public awareness and thus an appreciation of the tourist value of the respective municipality. As a result, the infrastructure improves, which in turn benefits the economic strength of the respective municipality.