Territorial governance in marginal areas: Learning from an integrated project for landscape regeneration and place-based development in Southern Salento

The paper discusses premises, development and contents of an integrated initiative for landscape regeneration and place based development promoted by the Apulia Region, Italy. It took place in the rural area of Southern Salento, in the southmost part of the region, which not only suffers from deep marginality so to be included among the targeted areas of the SNAI policy but has recently been hit by the so called Olive Quick Decline Syndrome, an environmental disaster connected to the Xylella epidemic, which has turned that area into a ghostlike place. The integrated initiative proved to have interesting potential for filling in some gaps in the effectiveness of existing public policies in the area because of its capacity to mobilize, support an d offer long term perspectives to vibrant bottom up processes and collaborative practices promoting sustainable rural economies. The analysis of this experience may thus give interesting suggestions for future public policies supporting place based development in marginal territories.