The Thematic Charcoal Trail in the Nebrodi Mountains (Sicily) as a tool to recover the local Heritage Landscape

The purpose of this article is to fully respond to the concept of Heritage Landscape, as both natural and cultural components are involved in it, combined in time and space. The result of this performative mixture can produce phenomena that are located somewhere and can be considered repositories of shared values and memory for future generations. The objective of this study is to identify and propose the “Thematic Charcoal Trail”, a historical, cultural and natural trail within the Nebrodi Regional Natural Park in Sicily, based on the tradition of the charcoal maker’s trade and the charcoal production cycle. The motivations for this research are based on the definition of heritage and landscape that today are linked to the evolution of cultural itineraries, involving both local institutions and other components of civil society, to support cooperation and interaction for the creation of cultural and sustainable tourism offerings. The findings of the study are based on geo-historic literature, in‐depth on field observations and some GIS applications. These observations suggest that the heritage landscape is an enabling medium through which traditional culture is preserved, local identities are transferred and rural heritage is acknowledged.