As of today, August 2026, the majority of Melemarze’s members are under ten years old. In 2024, the association founded a summer camp designed to help meet the need for childcare services in the Subequana Valley, and at the same time create local job opportunities. We work with the sponsoring municipalities to secure financial support for families and keep the service as accessible as possible. At the same time, we make sure the camp’s educators receive fair pay for the quality work that they do.
Gagliano Aterno thus becomes a kind of scattered campus for the duration of the summer camp, where children can explore different environments and have varied experiences. Its base is the sheltered playground in the center of the village and the nearby former Convent of Santa Chiara, where the old rooms of the Poor Clare nuns have been turned into spaces dedicated to the camp’s summer activities.
Participants often visit the Simon Tanner bookstore, a local nonprofit with a rich collection of rare and second-hand books and a welcoming garden shaded by fruit trees. Every week they also visit the village bakery, where they make pizza and pastries using a wood-fired oven and locally grown ingredients.
They also go to the climbing wall, accompanied by experienced instructors who teach proper technique and ensure a safe environment. They explore the nature around the village, harvesting wild herbs and fruit — like mint to make sun tea, or blackberries to make jam.
Many activities focus on artistic expression, using natural and reclaimed materials for painting, drawing and building. Children also learn craft skills, such as weaving and using a sewing machine.
Our goal is for them to feel that Gagliano, however depopulated and quiet it may seem, is actually a fun, beautiful place to live in or spend time — one that offers real opportunities to discover passions, build skills and make friends.