Smart village - new strategy for the development of Piniq’s reality

Abstract

Finiq is an Albanian municipality located near the ancient city of Phoeniciae in southern Albania. It is located a few kilometres from the Greek border and a few kilometers from the Ionian Sea. Finiq is located almost at the foot of the slope of the hill on which this ancient city had developed, almost to represent its contemporary continuity. Many problems have plagued this village, including depopulation, isolation from the main roads of the region, and a loss of identity. Analyzing the city of Finiq, however, many resources can be used for greater enhancement of the municipality. What characterizes them is the strategic position close to the elongated and characteristic hill, from whose summit you can admire all the pan- orama, from the plain to the hills to Lake Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ancient city of Phoinike has developed on top of the relief and is a settlement that finds its most accomplished monumental expression around the middle of the third century B.C. also becoming the capital of the region, of which today some traces remain, such as the cyclopean walls, the ancient entrance, the theatre. Among the most important archaeological emergencies of the area, in fact, there is the mon- astery of San Nicola, which stands on a hill, surrounded by the wide bend of the river Bistricta. The ancient complex included a large wall with seven watchtowers, of which today only a few traces remain. Within the walls survives only the Byzantine monument, still used by the community for the celebration of their religious rites. Other small villages were merged into the municipality of Finiq, such as Aliko, Dhiver, Livad- hja, and Mesopotam. Finiq and the other towns could be conceived from the perspective of a smart village, enhancing the strengths of rural reality, and starting a transformation from tourism: the naturalistic and historical cultural potential can allow the villages of the area to become an important attraction of the area, obtaining visibility and funding for its development. By smart village, we mean a rural area that, starting from its potential, tries to find solutions for its territory. At the basis of this challenge are the communities themselves that implement a series of strategies and shared projects to achieve a common goal: the development and growth of their rural area. In conclusion, this study aims to analyze other "smart" villages in Europe, which started from the enhancement of their heritage for the development of their area: each area is different from the others and each project is different from the others, but the common results are comparable. From these "case studies", it will be possible to under- stand how Finiq can become "smart", and which approach is needed to strengthen the area.