Objectives and Identification of the Operation

This operation forms part of the Priority Axis 6, linked to the preservation and protection of the environment and promoting resource efficiency. In particular, it focuses on Specific Objective (SO) 6.3.1 which aims to promote the protection, promotion and development of cultural heritage.

In the framework of the call ORDER GAH/45/2016, of 7 March which approves the rules to select local-entity operations eligible for co-financing from PO EDFR Catalonia 2014-2020 for priority axes 4 and 6, published on 14 March 2016, the Alt Empordà County Council proposes this candidacy, with actions aligned firstly, with the strategic objectives of the Sectoral Action Plan in the field of tourism development and secondly with objective 6.3.1 of the PO EDFR Catalonia.

The main objectives of this action are:

• To value the diversity of the tourist resources, activities and centres of interest offered by the area.

• To encourage and promote areas of tourist interest, which enable the improvement of the tourist experience in coastal destinations, the reduction of seasonal fluctuations in demand and the integration of the territory as a whole.

This action is based on the use of new technologies to provide visitors with knowledge of the area and improve their experience, making it easier for users to locate heritage sites in 4 different languages.

Digitalisation and Signposting of Heritage and Tourist Resources

The Empordà is an area full of contrasts. Both its coast and the inland plains, protected by various massifs, make this part of Catalonia a unique spot, made up of a great diversity of landscapes. However, one thing that makes the Empordà particularly special is the human landscape formed by the brush strokes of its people and its rich heritage. The activity of revitalising tourism in the Alt Empordà region has a long history and has been characterised in recent years by its ability to work at different territorial scales, taking advantage of its geographical location: between the Pyrenees and the sea. The beaches, its membership of the Costa Brava Tourist Brand, the arrival of the high-speed train line, the recognition that the Empordà plain has as a space providing a high quality of life, due to its natural, cultural, landscape, ethnological and gastronomic resources. Despite this wealth of the area, the need for the region to adapt to change and modernise has become clear.

This operation is part of the PECT Girona, Active Heritage - Strategies for the economic and social revitalization of disused heritage, whose territorial scope is the demarcation of Girona and, in particular, the territories of the Alt Empordà (Garriga d'Empordà , Cap de Creus, Roses), Cerdanya, Ripollès (Ripoll, Sant Joan de les Abadesses), Gironès (Amer, English), Garrotxa and Gavarres.

The territorial scope of this specific operation is the Garriga d'Empordà, formed by the municipalities of Avinyonet de Puigventós, Biure, Llers, Pont de Molins and Vilanant (with a population of 4,010 inhabitants). Here numerous dry stone constructions can be found. "The dry stone huts of the Garriga certainly have historical value, since they are an element that provides us great insight into the ways of life, farming, and the economy in general, and the forms of ownership of this entire geographical region. They have a distinct architectural, ethnological, documentary and technical value as examples of popular construction techniques and their evolution in a specific location. Their value extends to the landscape, as they embody a characteristic identity that represents the heritage of the entire region where they are found".

Heritage, as an endogenous resource intimately linked to the territory and society, is a great opportunity for the development of territorial revitalization strategies that contribute to the competitiveness of the territory and the creation of economic activity, employment, quality of life and well-being for the population. All the participating territories and agents have developed emerging initiatives to valorize this heritage (mainly tourism but also linked to other economic sectors) and have validated its initial potential, a fact that motivates the strategic commitment to consolidate it thanks to the support of the PECT project and the application of specialization and innovation strategies that contribute to improving its global competitiveness.

The actions proposed in this operation are aligned with the current strategic planning of the territory in which they operate:

• The Garriga d’Empordà Management Plan (2005).

• The Declaration of BCIL (Cultural Property of Local Interest) of the dry stone huts of the Garriga d’Empordà (2013) which entails the safeguarding, conservation, maintenance and preservation of these dry stone constructions.

• The Sectoral Action Plan in the Area of ​​Tourism Development of the Alt Empordà (2014) includes as action proposals, among others:

- At hiking level: Continue with the deployment of themed routes.

- At the level of cultural tourism: Design new thematic routes about the cultural assets of the region.

• The project Col·labora x Paisatge, constructions of dry stone in which ADRINOC has been working since 2016 aims to highlight the constructions of dry stone and their landscape as a means to promote rural development with the collaboration of citizens and civil society.

The Town Councils of the Garriga d'Empordà have designated, through a collaboration agreement, the Consell Marcal de l'Alt Empordà as the representative entity that assumes this responsibility towards the rest of the PECT member entities, "Girona, active heritage" Provincial Council of Girona, the General Directorate of Local Administration and the management, monitoring and control authorities.

Likewise, the University of Girona and ADRINOC are non-beneficiary participating entities of this operation. All these entities work in a network in order to achieve a global project for the territory.

The objectives of this project are the following:

• • Valoritzar el patrimoni de la pedra seca com a recurs turístic sostenible.
  • Professionalitzar l’ofici de marger, recuperar l’ofici com a nou nínxol professional.
  • Implicar i sensibilitzar la població local en la revalorització d’aquest patrimoni.

El Projecte i les actuacions incloses en l’operació «Valorització del patrimoni cultural de la pedra seca a la Garriga d’Empordà: un patrimoni viu i actiu» estan cofinançades en un 25% per la Diputació de Girona i un 50% per la Generalitat de Catalunya en el marc de projectes d’especialització i competitivitat territorial (PECT) emmarcats en la RIS3CAT i en el Programa operatiu FEDER de Catalunya 2014-2020.


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