Interdisciplinary methodological perspectives in university research. The ForteMare project: an ongoing research path

Thanks to the European INTERREG Italy-Malta programme, a bridge has been built between Sicily and Malta, two islands whose coasts face each other, separated but united by the Mediterranean Sea, through which many cultural exchanges, craftsmen, and construction techniques have taken place throughout history. In particular, this paper aims to take stock of the ongoing research project entitled ForteMare, funded by the INTERREG programme. ForteMare project focuses on the study of fortified architectural heritage and, specifically, the towers that dot the Sicilian and Maltese coasts, in order to identify new perspectives for their use, valorisation, and management. The working group, coordinated by the Department of Architecture of Palermo, has a strongly interdisciplinary connotation and also draws on the expertise of the managing bodies of some Sicilian and Maltese coastal towers, with a view to going beyond the purely academic dimension and experimenting with research-action paths. The participation of local communities is also fundamental. Through regular meetings and an accessible platform, they can express their needs, especially those of people with disabilities or living in disadvantaged conditions. The paper will therefore illustrate how research is experimenting with participatory design and territorial cooperation to identify innovative strategies for the use, valorisation, and management of the fortified heritage of coastal towers, including through digital technologies for expanded accessibility of content. The aim is to identify a narrative on a territorial scale, as an alternative to that intended for mass tourism, shifting the focus from the most well-known places to marginal and less valued areas, with potential in terms of cultural, landscape, and naturalistic wealth, with a view to raising the cultural level of tourist flows and the economic level of the territories involved.