GARDMED proposes to establish a network of gardens in Malta and Sicily to enhance the gardens economic and environmental sustainability trough the creation of touristiv routes and their promotion with major tour operator specialized into Eco Green Tourism. GARDMED will directly involve at least 15 gardens from Malta and all eligible areas of Sicily. Partners in the proposal are: Botanical Garden of Catania, Botanical Garden of Malta, Siracusa and Floriana municipalities. The majority of project activities will be implemented symmetrically in both partner countries The GARDMED project fulfils two major requirements 1. to establish bridges connecting similar gardens and organisms located in the two islands (networking) 2. to take the opportunity offered by the CBC Program to experience and exchange new management models for the protection and valorization of cultural heritage and the creation of integrated tourism (innovation) The activities, consisting of various examples of research, experimentation and communication, will cover - scientific aspects, targeting the definition of shared criteria defining the characteristics of the gardens, and their accurate study - knowledge and valorization aspects to maximize the use and the role of Gardens in local development and as turistic cultural attractions - awareness aspects to use Gardens for the promotion – within local institutions and communities where the gardens are located – of conscious, environmentally aware policies.GARDMED propone di creare una rete di giardini tra Malta e Sicilia per promuovere la sostenibilità economica ed ambientale attraverso la creazione di circuiti turistici e la promozione presso i maggiori tour operator specializzati nel turismo verde e turismo responsabile. GARDMED coinvolgerà direttamente almeno 15 giardini a Malta e nelle aree eleggibili in Sicilia. Partner della proposta sono: Orto Botanico di Catania, Orto Botanico di Malta, Comuni di Siracusa e Floriana. La maggior parte delle attività del progetto sarà realizzato simmetricamente nei due paesi. Il progetto GARDMED copre due esigenze importanti: 1. stabilire connessioni tra giardini analoghi situati nelle due isole (networking); 2. cogliere l'opportunità offerta dal Programma di cooperazione per scambiare esperienze e nuovi modelli di gestione per la tutela e la valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale e la creazione del turismo integrato (innovazione); Le attività, costituite da ricerca e sperimentazione e comunicazione, riguarderanno: - aspetti scientifici: la scelta di criteri condivisi per definire le caratteristiche dei giardini da selezionare e lo studio approfondito di questi - aspetti legati alla valorizzazione: per ottimizzare l'uso e il ruolo dei giardini nello sviluppo locale e come attrattore culturale per il turismo - aspetti relativi alla sensibilizzazione: l’utilizzo dei giardini come motore per la promozione, nelle istituzioni locali e nelle comunità, di politiche ambientali concrete e consapevoli Achievements: A project to spread green culture, safeguard natural and cultural heritage and promote sustainable tourism through the transformation of Mediterranean gardens from isolated, expensive, and little appreciated complexes into valid centres of social, environmental, and tourist development. To achieve this the GARDMED project followed two courses of action: establish connections among similar gardens in Sicily and Malta; develop new management models for the valorisation of cultural heritage and create integrated tourism. In particular, following the preliminary mapping of the gardens in the Sicilian and Maltese territories, the design partnership organized the data under the historical, stylistic and landscape profi le, and likewise carried out a botanical census and reconnaissance of the naturalistic and architectural strong points of each garden. The collected information was then put into a catalogue high-lighting the peculiarities of each garden and their common characteristics. The catalogued gardens were then networked and tourist itineraries were defi ned linking them before a road show with tour operators visited the gardens in Malta and Sicily. Finally, a practical sustainable management model for the gardens, both under the cultural and structural, and socio-economic aspects was drawn up. • 18 gardens identified and put on the network • 1 sustainable management model for 6 gardens • 1 catalogue-book illustrating the gardens on the circuit