The last achievement of CAMINA: the implementation of a “Cultural Circular Route”

CAMINA has been an initiative with a sound focus on the social and cultural integration of the people in the fringes living in three target neighbourhoods of Almeria, Almedina, La Chanca-Pescaderia and the Centre. Those neighbourhoods represent the splendour past of the ancient Almeria: here is where the cultural heritage of Almeria is more visible. But, during the last centuries they were progressively abandoned by Almeria citizens, who preferred developing new settlements outside the historical city, and started to host marginalised communities (including migrants and Roma people).  

The project was designed to overcome social barriers and segregation of the diverse communities living in the cultural heritage areas of Almeria by fostering participative cultural activities aimed at exploring the urban heritage areas, meeting people living there and bridging with the rest of the city. For doing that, CAMINA fostered a slow participatory approach promoting cultural walking inside the target neighbourhoods of Almedina, La Chanca-Pescaderia and the Centre. Indeed the project was called “CAMINA” because in Spanish it means “WALK”. The project developed a  “Cultural Circular Route” that is a cultural urban walk through cultural heritage sites, “cultural nodes” and significant landscape points of view. 

The methodology of the “Cultural Circular Route” developed an itinerary based on the main concepts collected by the “Novel Collective Narrative” of Almeria. The narrative, created through the methodology of Story bank embracing official history and people’s stories, drawed a common Cultural Landscape connecting feelings, needs, people, neighbourhoods, city imagination, future, present and past of Almería.

The concept of the Cultural circular route to connect the three target neighbourhoods with the rest of the city evolved into the idea of “Almeria - Open-Air City Museum” where tangible and intangible heritage are showcased through cultural activities.

Digital tools and playful walking experiences were developed to discover the cultural heritage of Almeria. 

An immersive cultural experience of four heritage elements through augmented reality of Almería was realised. Four heritage sites were provided through the application APP-WEB for augmented reality, they are: the Old Mosque of Almería, the Alcazaba of Almería, the Cathedral and the Caliphal Towers. 3D digital models allow to navigate the cultural heritage of Almeria and through a follow up made by videos, maps, pictures and virtual tours get the knowledge of the value of Almeria cultural heritage.

This IT intervention fosters the exploration of the Cultural Circular Route of Almeria boosting the walk through the cultural heritage sites and ensuring the accessibility through the online application for disabled people. 

The physical walking and explorations were also realised to accompany people in getting the knowledge of Almeria Cultural Heritage and seeing the neighbourhoods of Almedina, La Chanca-Pescaderia and the Centre with new eyes.

The following activities were organised to guide people:

• One city, ten routes, an initiative launched by the municipality of Almería to rediscover the cultural heritage of Almeria. Five theatrical routes and five guided touristic routes were offered freely to citizens and participants to learn and see through new eyes the beauty of Almeria Cultural Landscape.

• “Walk Your Culture Stamps”, a game collection of 43 stamps illustrated with local artists, iconic places or key facts of Almeria. They have a reference in different disciplines: plastic arts, journalism and literature, flamenco, photography, music, the living and audiovisual arts, and material and immaterial heritage. To get people aware about the cultural history of Almeria, CAMINA launched a city game that ran from May to June 2024 to collect stamps by visiting the cultural nodes and cultural places in the target neighbourhoods. 

• Audiobarrio, a sound and poetic tour of the neighbourhoods surrounding the Alcazaba of Almería, created from interviews with neighbours, street discoveries or literary encounters. A total of 16 stops where it is possible to listen to poetry, fiction, theatre or documentaries and feel an immersive sound experience in the life of Chanca-Pescadería, La Almedina, Cerro de San Cristóbal, the Historical Centre and La Hoya.

“The art of walking”, experimented through playful explorations and digital tools, allowed  Almeria’s citizens to rediscover their roots and the potential of their cultural heritage. This  approach driven by the participation of the target population in the whole project development allowed to foster the “Culture of co-living” that embraces cultures, minorities and all people in a cultural project implemented by the people for the people. 

CAMINA has given evidence that culture facilitates the feeling of union between people. Promoting walks and a slow approach for participation has triggered the involvement of the people that generally are excluded from the cultural proposals, tailoring to their needs the engagement approach.