Silvia Rovere
Innovator
Rifugio Galaberna
Italy
Social
Rural Areas
Remote rural areas
The innovation journey
Silvia Rovere moved to the remote village of Ostana, in the western Alps of Italy, in 2011, with her husband and two children (now three) to start a new life. Before moving to this remote mountain area, she graduated in Educational Sciences and worked for about 10 years in different cities, including abroad, on public health projects.
Moving with the whole family to Ostana was a courageous decision because at that time only about twenty people lived there permanently.
Silvia took over the management of the Galaberna Refuge, a hotel/restaurant owned by the Municipality, ensuring its opening throughout the year. Galaberna is managed with the help of 4 permanent employees, which can become 15 in the summer period. Over the years, the hut has become a meeting centre for the community as well as a tourist reception point.
The innovation impact
In 2019, Silvia became the first woman mayor of the village. As the mayor, she was able to implement policies to attract tourists as well as to support several local initiatives.
Thanks to the public-private synergies that Silvia was able to implement, different projects were developed in the village such as a community cooperative managing a day nursery, a land association, and an organic farm. Moreover, in the village different buildings have been renovated, creating spaces for a cultural center, a wellness and sports centre, and craftsmen’s workshops. Collaborations with scholars and experts studying mountains and monitoring water situations have also been established. Thanks to these developments, the population of the village is increasing (now about 50 people are living permanently in Ostana), and more and more tourists are arriving.
In this way, Silvia showed the importance of local institutions to closely work with citizens: to understand and address their needs. Her activities also prove that it is possible to choose to live in remote rural areas: they are inspiring others to move to Ostana.