Adnkronos Bologna, November 13 - (Adnkronos) – A village of just 52 inhabitants, at 650 meters above sea level in Piedmont's Alta Langa, has become a model of sustainability and inclusion. Bergolo, in the province of Cuneo, led by Mayor Mario Marone, is among the municipalities honored with the Cresco Award 2025 – Sustainable Municipalities and Agenda 2030. "Over the last five or six years," Marone said, "we have reclaimed uncultivated land and launched pesticide-free agricultural projects, thanks in part to collaboration with associations that manage the European Union's Erasmus+ programs."
Each year, the village hosts up to 600 young people from across Europe and the Maghreb, involved in environmental education and sustainable farming activities. Among the most significant initiatives are an educational garden and new communal land designated for organic farming, offering job opportunities to young people who choose to stay or move to the mountains.
"We want to reach 100 inhabitants," Marone explains, "and combat depopulation by promoting the environment and life in contact with nature. We also focus on beekeeping and ecological education: small towns can be great laboratories for the future."