The initiative was launched by the Italian Ministry of Defense, in synergy with the "project to safeguard the Castle of Shama in Southern Lebanon" developed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and implemented by the Council for Development and Reconstruction ( CDR) Lebanese.
The ceremony, which took place on December 10 2014, was highlighted by a press conference held at Shama which saw the presence of the commander of the Unifil West Sector, an Italian-led sector on the basis of the Pinerolo brigade, representatives of the Italian Embassy in Lebanon and the Italian Cooperation Office, the Council for Development and Reconstruction, the Minister for Culture / Directorate for Antiquities, the Mayor of Shama and numerous civil and religious authorities.
The initiative aims to restore the entrance to the village square in order to ensure better access to the Shama citadel, which will soon be consolidated and restored by the council for development and reconstruction.
These initiatives promoted by the Italian government will contribute to strengthening the religious and cultural heritage of South Lebanon, to the expansion, practical redevelopment and cultural, economic and tourist development of the region.
In the coming months, the entrance to the square will be restored and modernized with a new flooring that is coherent with the landscape. At the beginning of the next year, the consolidation of the Shama citadel, severely damaged by the 2006 conflict, will begin under the direct supervision of the CDR. Once the works have been completed, the Castle will return to the availability of the Shama community, representing all its historical and cultural value, as well as becoming an important reference point for tourism, playing an important role in the sustainable development of the local economy.
Source: Head of Public Information Cell of Sector West of UNIFIL, ten. with the. Domenico Occhinegro
