Pro Loco
Encyclopedia
In Italy
, Pro Loco (the term is both singular and plural) are grass-roots organizations that seek to promote some particular place, almost always a town and its immediate area; pro loco is a Latin phrase that may be roughly translated "in favor of the place". Usually the town is a full-fledged comune
, but not always: frazioni
and other small places with a high level of civic pride may have their own Pro Loco.
Very often, the name of a Pro Loco is just "Pro Loco N", where N is the name of the town; not infrequently, though, one meets with the simpler "Pro N", where N may be the name of the town or even its ancient Roman
name.
The Pro Loco is a volunteer, grass-roots organization, and must not be confused with such publicly-financed organizations as the Azienda di Promozione Turistica (APT) or the Ufficio di Informazione e Accoglienza Turistica (IAT), the aim of which is to promote tourism. In most Italian towns, the Pro Loco's main purpose is to organize, finance, advertise, and operate the local Sagra or palio
; it is thus quintessentially at the service of residents rather than visitors. In some places though, a wider purpose has been taken on, that of promoting the town's products or tourism; and in some few cases, a very active and socially conscious Pro Loco will sponsor publications, scholarly research, or the restoration of local monuments.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Pro Loco (the term is both singular and plural) are grass-roots organizations that seek to promote some particular place, almost always a town and its immediate area; pro loco is a Latin phrase that may be roughly translated "in favor of the place". Usually the town is a full-fledged comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
, but not always: frazioni
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
and other small places with a high level of civic pride may have their own Pro Loco.
Very often, the name of a Pro Loco is just "Pro Loco N", where N is the name of the town; not infrequently, though, one meets with the simpler "Pro N", where N may be the name of the town or even its ancient Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
name.
The Pro Loco is a volunteer, grass-roots organization, and must not be confused with such publicly-financed organizations as the Azienda di Promozione Turistica (APT) or the Ufficio di Informazione e Accoglienza Turistica (IAT), the aim of which is to promote tourism. In most Italian towns, the Pro Loco's main purpose is to organize, finance, advertise, and operate the local Sagra or palio
Palio
The oldest extant palio is the Palio di Asti, but the Palio di Siena is better known internationally. There are many other palios that are held throughout the various regions of Italy. Here follows an incomplete list:-Tuscany:...
; it is thus quintessentially at the service of residents rather than visitors. In some places though, a wider purpose has been taken on, that of promoting the town's products or tourism; and in some few cases, a very active and socially conscious Pro Loco will sponsor publications, scholarly research, or the restoration of local monuments.