STECCI – Stone monument ensembles and the climate change impact
As part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme, Heritage Malta is participating in STECCI, a pioneering project dedicated to safeguarding cultural heritage in the face of accelerating climate change. Developed through international collaboration, the project reflects the European Union’s commitment to sustainable innovation and transnational cooperation in cultural heritage preservation. It brings together scientists, conservators, decision-makers, local communities, and creative industries to collectively build a holistic and resilient framework for heritage protection.
In line with its mission to preserve over 8,000 years of cultural history, Heritage Malta is expanding its scope to support the protection of heritage assets beyond its shores. Through STECCI, the agency’s Digitisation Unit is contributing cutting-edge 3D acquisition and imaging expertise to document stećci – monumental medieval tombstones listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List found across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia. These stone monuments, along with similar limestone structures in Germany, France Austria and Malta, will be studied under two high-resolution climate change scenarios across three key future periods: 2021–2040, 2041–2060, and 2081–2100.
The project combines in situ condition assessments with scientific analysis and remedial conservation at selected sites to develop best practices for long-term monitoring and intervention. As part of this effort, Heritage Malta will explore and compare both low-cost and high-end digitisation methodologies, advancing scalable techniques for the accurate and efficient digital recording of Europe’s cultural assets.
Beyond its scientific and technical goals, STECCI also aims to unlock the socio-economic potential of necropolis by engaging local communities in sustainable development. Through cultural valorisation strategies and entrepreneurship models, the project seeks to transform vulnerable heritage into active cultural and economic resources across Europe. Community outreach plays a key role in this vision, with digital engagement tools such as educational games, and immersive virtual tours being developed to raise awareness, engage public participation, and make cultural heritage more accessible to younger generations and wider audiences. These efforts are supported by Heritage Malta’s digitisation expertise, ensuring that community engagement is not only informative, but also innovative and inclusive.
