This idea yielded a project that saw the setting up of 16 literary “parks” in the south of Italy. The initiative was promoted by the Ippolito Nievo Foundation, by the Tourism Department at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Crafts, by the programme for Young Entrepreneurship of Italian Development and by the Touring Club Italiano, and a subsidy was given by the European Commission.

The 16 “literary” parks are: Parco l'Isola di Arturo in Procida, dedicated to Elsa Morante who set her novel in the island, Parco Giordano Bruno in Nola and confining areas, Parco Isabella Morra – a poetess of the 500’s - in Valsinni province of Matera, Parco Carlo Levi, inspired to the novel "Cristo si è fermato a Eboli", in Aliano and surrounding areas, Parco Vesuvio – from Plinio to Leopardi, writer of the Land of Fire – it winds through 15 municipalities at the foothills of the volcano, Parco Ettore Fieramosca, dedicated to D'Azeglio’s novel, to Barletta, Parco Formiche in Puglia, dedicated to journalist Tommaso Fiore, in Alberobello, Parco Old Calabria, between Cosenza and Crotone in the place described by Norman Douglas in his novel by the same name, Parco Horcynus Orca, between Calabria and Sicily is inspired by Stefano D'Arrigo’s work by the same name, Parco Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, on the traces of "Il Gattopardo" between Palermo, Santa Margherita di Belice and Palma di Montechiaro, Parco Salvatore Quasimodo, in Modica – where he was born – and in other places of Eastern Sicily, Parco Luigi Pirandello, Agrigento and Porto Empedocle, Parco Grazia Deledda, along many municipalities of the provinces of Sassari and Nuoro, Parco Francesco Jovine in Guardalfiera and Agnone in Molise, Parco Francesco De Sanctis in Morra De Sanctis and surrounding areas, Parco Lo cunto de li cunti dedicated to Giambattista Basile, in Bracigliano province of Salerno.

The “Literary” park does not correspond to a defined and limited area, rather it includes places and trails where both the works’ author and their settings live again.

(in the photo, the inauguration evening of the Parco Giuseppe Tomasi in Lampedusa)

Touring Club Italiano 
I. Nievo Foundation  (In Italian)