A new Grand Tour in Tuscany between cultural heritage, knowledge and digital media

A journey through Tuscany to discover the region's rich heritage and explore how digital media can be used to promote sustainable tourism and foster a better understanding of natural and cultural heritage. This was the aim of the 2023 Winter School of the USI UNESCO Chair organised in collaboration with the University of Pisa and coordinated by Alessandro Tosi, of the University of Pisa, Lorenzo Cantoni and Silvia De Ascaniis, of the USI UNESCO Chair.

27 participants from 13 countries took part in the Winter School held from 13 to 19 February 2023, among them the second-year students of USI Master in International Tourism.

This edition focused on the famous Grand Tour, the journey of the wealthy European aristocracy, artists and scholars, starting in the 18th century. It intended to perfect their knowledge through the experience of different places and cultures.

Tuscany played a central role in the Tour, as travellers ventured through the region back and forth on their journey. The Winter School allowed participants to experience first-hand, at a cognitive and sensory level, a new Grand Tour and to understand the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage, as well as the inextricable link between the territory, its inhabitants and their history.

During the visit to the 'Teatro del silenzio' in Lajatico, the participants received a letter from one of its founders to whom the theatre is dedicated, the world-famous Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, encouraging them to savour the 'silent sound' of the Tuscan landscape and its timeless culture.