 Recently, we have often heard, especially in the context of certain political propaganda, that Italy holds the richest and more extensive cultural heritage in the world, and that this heritage is or should be its oil. One thing is certain. The wealth of Italian cultural heritage lies not only on quality, but also on its widespread distribution. As regards archaeology, there are 300s of small archaeological areas, even where nobody would expect them to be, along the coast, through the countryside or up among the mountains. But what is Italy really doing for this widespread and unknown oil? How much does it invest in the conservation and knowledge of minor realities? Does Italy really employing its competent professionals, trained in its university? Today, we will talk about one of these small archaeological sites, a local dimension less known, but worthy of being considered both for the quality of the remains and because it is a witness of a prestigious history. We are located in the northeastern Italy, not far from Venice and even less from Padua, at the foot of the Euganean hills. Here there is a thermal basin among the largest in Europe, known as Terme Euganea. The warm waters, which naturally flow from the subsoil, have healing properties that are still very appreciated today. The fame of these waters dates back at least to the 7th century BC. Then, one of the steaming springs of the area became the site of a sanctuary, where the healthy water was drunk in exchange for the sacrifice of gratitude, such ex-voto dedications to a male divinity of the waters. In Roman times, from the 2nd century BC, Terme Euganea district joined the municipality of Patavium. The male divinity of the waters took the name of Athonus. Literary sources define the area Aquae patavinae, or patavini fontes. Archaeological sources from the 18th century tell of an intense population expanding especially between the 1st century BC and 2nd AD, mainly based on the thermal resource with prestigious Othium villas and private and public spats, attested above all in the area now occupied by the town of Montegrotto-Terme. Therefore, in 2005, the superintendent at the territorial office of the Ministry of Culture and the University of Padua, developed a project to enhance the archaeology of the Terme Euganea, choosing Montegrotto-Terme as a pilot area. The municipality became the third partner and the support of several financing institutions was found. The Aquae patavinae project has as its final objective the creation of the Terme Euganea Archaeological Park, a network park in which the archaeological areas are clearly highlighted in the current urban fabric well connected, accessible and understandable. So far, several intermediate targets have been reached. First of all, the preparation and opening to the public of three archaeological areas. The public baths are settled along the main street of the town and the complex was used between the end of the 1st century BC and 2nd AD. These hold at least three pools of different shapes, the hydraulic system with wheel and pipelines, a small theater and other recreational buildings. The archaeological area of Via Neroneana preserved the remains of a rich villa from the beginning of the 1st century AD excavated between 2001 and 2012 by the University of Padua. This is a view of the remains at the end of excavation, at the end of which the area has been set up in order to recall the ancient organization of the building composed of residential units and large gardens. The best preserved sector of the villa is protected by a permanent evocative cover in the original volumes and underneath it the mosaic and wall fragments have been returned in this way to give the visitor the perception of the articulation of the interior spaces, even if on just two dimensions due to the absence of the high concert walls. This sector overlooks a lone whose fence repeats the perimeter of the Roman villa. The third archaeological area is Aipogeal and Andranotel. It keeps the remains of another thermal complex maybe private and close to the villa we have just talked about. Here the visit is entrusted to lightning. In fact, different lightning scenarios are foreseen which highlights structural or functional parts of the complex to guide the visitor who otherwise would risk to misunderstand the structural palimpsest of lies ahead which is at the level I and therefore difficult to perceive as a whole. The archaeological route is also suggested by several information boards that also indicate the unknown but no longer visible archaeological areas. Those arriving by train at Montagrotto are welcomed by a small waiting room at the station furnished to illustrate the archaeological heritage of the Terme Ugane. Since 2011, the website of the Acqua e Patavine project is online. This design to satisfy historical and archaeological curiosities. It has a new section to advertise the plant activities and a virtual reality section with the reconstructions of the most important archaeological areas. The last stage that remains to be concluded is the museum of the thermalism. It will be housed in a historic building. It will deal with Asian thermalism in general and the archaeology of the Terme Ugane in particular. It will be the entrance door and landmark of the archaeological park. Even if the works are in progress, the three archaeological areas are open to the visitors. So here we come to the topic of today. What solutions have been adopted for the management of this local reality which is small if compared to the great Italian archaeological parks Pompeii, Ercolano, Pesto, but nevertheless made with the investments of public funds? Is the identified approach economically sustainable? The adopted solution is defined by the Italian indirect management law. The ministry, owner of the properties and trust the management to an external entity chosen on the basis of a public tender. The size of the context with low or no profit provisions did not allow investors to be attracted and therefore we turn to cultural associations, no profit by definition. Here a paradox is generated. We choose volunteers but professionals in the sector who are asked to do their job but without getting paid. The only alternative we have is to keep areas closed or to contact non-professional volunteers. The chosen cultural association is called Lapis and manages the archaeological areas from 2015 until 2019. It deals with visits for adults and schools, educational workshops with children, projects of school work alternation in which students guide visitors and others extraordinary events such as performances of ancient and contemporary theatre, dance, music, reenactment and themed dinners and also a photographic exhibition. As the images continue to flow we will now talk about the most painful key, funds and sustainability. The cultural association has maintenance costs and in order to reach a balanced budget it must request the payment of the services of opening and guided visits. The raised money barely sustains the running costs. At the best it generates a surplus to organize further events but it is not enough to contribute to improvement of the archaeological areas, an improvement that would bring an advantage to those who manage. The revenues are around in order of hundreds of euros per year, hundreds of euros, not millions. However the system would be in some way balanced if public institutions provided at least regular maintenance with continuity and punctuality. In fact in our case the ministry takes care of the preservation of the remains and equipment. The municipality supplies with some mowing, unfortunately I speak of the ministry, the funds allocated to the maintenance of the minor archaeological areas decrease from year to year and lately they are financed every other year. We are talking of thousands of euros into years, 10,000, 20,000, not millions. As you can see so far the financial record is negative and the system is not sustainable from a financial point of view. A minimum of sustainability depends only on grants un attanto. Over the years we have obtained some from the Veneto region, the local banking foundation, the Rotary Club, some private citizens. These funds are provided rarely for conservation and maintenance, often for outfitting and events. In the specific case of Montegrototterne, finally, there is a strangeness. On the one hand the town has over 240 annual attendance of tourists, thermal tourists. On the other the hotel implement individual profit policies and do not consider the cultural proposal outside the hotel as a plus to offer to the guests. In the future the management scenario will be complicated by the opening of the museum which for a series of light choices will be owned by the municipality. For this reason we are working on the possibility of building a sort of single box external to the involved public institution and at the same dialogue with them capable of managing museums and areas and becoming among other things the promoter of effective fundraising policies and project of sustainability. The solution is not simple, even considering the limited success of public private foundations and the risks connected to the total privatization of cultural heritage. In the meantime, however, in everyday life we feel the moral and professional obligation to give back the very special story of the Terme Ogane to the territory and to the public for affection, for stubbornness and because we believe that promotion of the culture recommended by the Italian constitution unique among all the democratic constitution in its magnificence closed nine also goes through the knowledge of the small realities which represent the details that compose the overlook. Thank you very much.