Pilot territories
RE-MARK is implemented across four rural and remote territories in Italy, Spain, Hungary and Bulgaria. These areas share common challenges, such as demographic decline, limited access to cultural opportunities and the progressive weakening of local economies. At the same time, they hold a rich cultural and natural heritage, strong community ties and a deep connection to local production.
In each territory, the project engages local communities, artists, public authorities and producers in a shared process of culture-led rural regeneration. Rural markets become the starting point for experimentation — spaces where economic, social and cultural dimensions intersect.
These territories act as living laboratories for rural cultural innovation, where art and community participation contribute to reimagining public spaces and strengthening local identities.
Bertinoro – Italy
Bertinoro is a small hilltop town in the Emilia-Romagna region, known for its strong tradition of hospitality, its wine production and its vibrant cultural identity.
Like many rural areas, Bertinoro is facing challenges related to ageing population, youth outmigration and a gradual decline in everyday life within public spaces, particularly in the historic centre.
RE-MARK focuses on local markets as key spaces for social interaction and cultural exchange. Through artistic residencies, community-based activities and cultural interventions, the project aims to revitalise the market as a place of encounter and to strengthen its role in the cultural life of the town.
San Cebrián DC – Spain
San Cebrián de Castro is located in the province of Zamora, one of the Spanish regions most affected by rural depopulation.
The area is characterised by a significant historical and landscape heritage, including the medieval site of Castrotorafe — an abandoned village that still plays an important role in the collective memory and identity of the territory.
RE-MARK will activate this symbolic place as a meeting point for community, art and rural markets. Through participatory processes and site-specific artistic interventions, the project seeks to reconnect people with their local heritage and to reimagine the role of markets within the territory.
Komló – Hungary
Komló is a medium-sized town in Baranya County, southern Hungary, shaped by the landscape and natural resources of the Mecsek Hills. Its identity is closely connected to coal mining, but also to the area’s rich geological and natural heritage.
Following the decline of mining, Komló faces challenges related to population loss, ageing, social fragmentation and the legacy of a mono-industrial economy. At the same time, Komlói Kaptár, with its theatre and community spaces, and the Komlóverzum visitor centre form a compact cultural network where community life and heritage interpretation come together.
Through RE-MARK, the recently renovated Komló market hall will become a new node in this local network – an inclusive cultural space where local produce, natural heritage, mining memory, Roma cultural visibility, and youth creativity can converge, strengthening community identity and broadening cultural participation.
Lazhnitsa – Bulgaria
Lazhnitsa is a rural village in the Blagoevgrad region, in south-western Bulgaria. The local community belongs to the Pomak minority and preserves a rich cultural heritage, including traditions related to crafts, food and social practices.
Despite this cultural wealth, the area faces challenges such as youth outmigration and limited visibility of local cultural expressions.
Through RE-MARK, markets and public spaces become places for artistic experimentation and storytelling. The project will work closely with women, young people and local cultural actors to highlight local knowledge and traditions, strengthening community identity and cultural participation.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.