Culture without barriers: the Gamba Castle to touch, see, and hear

Removal of physical and cognitive barriers in museums, libraries and archives to enable wider access and participation in culture (Mission 1, Component 3, Investment 1.2)

Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan provides the measure to remove architectural, cultural and cognitive barriers in a number of Italian cultural institutions. Interventions will be combined with training for administrative staff and cultural operators, promoting a culture of accessibility and developing expertise on legal aspects, reception, cultural mediation and promotion.

The investment is financed by Italy’s Recovery and Resilience plan by EUR 300 million.

The aim of the project is to transform the museum into a place of learning and social interaction accessible to everyone. Despite the numerous educational initiatives and activities offered to schools and the general public in recent years, cognitive accessibility remains significantly limited, particularly for students and visitors with different types of disabilities.

At present, Castello Gamba can only partially accommodate visitors with mobility impairments, who may access the castle by car through the park but cannot fully enjoy the extensive outdoor area, which is essential for appreciating the site as a whole. The current situation also offers little accessibility for people with sensory or cognitive disabilities, as there are no physical or technological aids available to support their visit.

Recognizing that culture is by nature a shared heritage, the Regional Administration of the Valle d’Aosta intends to launch an initial intervention to make Castello Gamba accessible to all. The project aims to facilitate understanding of the building and its collection of contemporary art for visitors who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, on the autism spectrum, or with intellectual disabilities—thereby ensuring the full enjoyment of the entire museum space and including audiences currently excluded.

Specific training programs will be organized for regional staff, personnel of the Valle d’Aosta Services Company, tourist guides, and cultural operators, to ensure the effective inclusion of visitors with disabilities.

The ultimate goal is to contribute actively to a cultural transformation focused on accessibility to heritage—through concrete actions, programs, initiatives, and resources designed to welcome a wider audience and bring them closer to art in all its forms.

This project is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility with EUR 498.370,00.