Funded through the public call for proposals for the restoration and enhancement of historic parks and gardens under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 1 – Digitalisation, Innovation, Competitiveness and Culture, Component 3 – Culture 4.0 (M1C3), Measure 2 “Regeneration of Small Cultural Sites, Cultural, Religious and Rural Heritage”, Investment 2.3 “Programmes to Enhance the Identity of Places: Historic Parks and Gardens”, financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU and administered by the Italian Ministry of Culture.
To address the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting slowdown of European economies, the European Union established the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
Access to RRF funding is based on each Member State’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), which sets out a coherent package of reforms and investments for the period 2021-2026.
On 13 July 2021, Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan was formally approved by the European Commission. The Italian NRRP is structured around six Missions. Within Mission 1, the Italian Ministry of Culture introduced a dedicated investment for the protection and conservation of historic parks and gardens, entitled “Programmes to Enhance the Identity of Places: Historic Parks and Gardens.”
The investment aims to improve quality of life by enhancing cultural heritage and, in particular, by promoting the regeneration of historic parks and gardens as places of public beauty, landmarks of community identity, and key drivers of urban regeneration.
The objectives of the programme are to:
- enhance and improve access to historic public parks and gardens of artistic significance, strengthening their identity and appeal for both residents and visitors, while improving environmental quality and well-being;
- strengthen expertise and skills in the management and maintenance of historic parks and gardens by supporting local authorities in addressing conservation challenges and overcoming the shortage of specialist knowledge.
By Ministerial Decree No. 161 of 13 April 2022, funding was allocated as follows:
- €190 million for the restoration and enhancement of historic parks and gardens, to be awarded through a public call for proposals;
- €100 million for the restoration and enhancement of five major historic parks and gardens selected by the Italian Ministry of Culture;
- €10 million for the cataloguing of historic gardens and the training of specialist heritage gardeners.
By Ministerial Decree No. 505 of 21 June 2022, the Italian Ministry of Culture allocated the funding for the selected projects, and Villa Meli Lupi was included among the beneficiaries.
Our project
“The Park of Villa Meli Lupi: an educational campus for the first School of Heritage Gardeners in the Emilia-Romagna Region”. The project has been awarded €1,884,435 in funding and is scheduled for completion by 31 December 2024.
Project team
Implementing Body
Marquis Raimondo Meli Lupi di Soragna
Project Manager
Eng. Arch. Tiziana Benassi
Project Assistant
Cristina Toscano
Landscape Architect
Arch. Martina Pellacini
Agronomic Consultant (Design Phase)
Dr. Mauro Carboni (Equa Srl)
Architectural Designer
Arch. Barbara Zilocchi
Health and Safety Coordinator (Design Phase)
Davide Chiesa
Mechanical and Plumbing Systems Designer
Ivan Porta, Industrial Expert
Electrical Systems Designer
Luigi Vezzosi, Industrial Expert (O.S. Design & Consulting Srl)
Lighting Design
Arch. Susanna Sangiorgio
Works tender - 16 June 2023
Market consultation notice - 11 October 2023
Invitation to express interest in the appointment of the Works Director, Quantity Surveyor, Cost Controller, and Health and Safety Coordinator during the Construction Phase.
Project entitled:
“The Park of Villa Meli Lupi: An Open-Air Educational Campus for the First School of Heritage Gardeners in the Emilia-Romagna Region”
CUP: C98E22000030006
CIG: A018427111
The works are funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, Mission 1, Component 3 (M1C3), Investment 2.3.
Implementing Body and Contracting Authority
Marquis Raimondo Meli Lupi di Soragna
Strada Martinella 326
43124 Parma (PR), Italy
