Italian Ecovillage Network gathering in Vidracco

The Italian Ecovillage Network (Rete Italiana Villaggi Ecologici – RIVE) holds a summer gathering every year, and at the end of July it will be hosted in the town of Vidracco, Italy with the collaboration of Damanhur.

The RIVE gathering was held in Vidracco in 2012, and this year about 200 people from around Italy are anticipated to be present. The town of Vidracco is a fitting place to hold this event, because despite its small population and semi-rural location, it is considered a meeting place for different cultures, so it is aligned with the intention of serving as a place of art and sustainable culture.

Participants are mainly RIVE members from established ecovillages in Italy, and there are others who are interested in community, ecovillages and natural living. The intention of the gathering is to explore themes connected to sustainability, social dynamics, personal growth, relationships with the local areas around a community, impacts on society, and the laws on communities in Italy and Europe. There will be large plenary sessions as well as a diversity of workshops and experiences in smaller groups.

Every year, the summer gathering is held in one of the RIVE communities, and this is the 22nd year. The first gatherings were quite spontaneous, and then after some years, the RIVE organization was officially established. Italian ecovillages have a wide variety of characteristics. Most are quite small and dedicated to caring for their lands. Some are more extended networks of communities like Damanhur which have been founded on spiritual philosophy. There are several historically important groups, such as the Popolo degli Elfi and Comune di Bagnaia in Tuscany, Torre Superiore in the Liguria region, and many other newer communities.