Akupara · Missano
Ilaria and Biagio chose this place to build a residential community centred on personal care, shared life and landscape regeneration.
THE ORIGIN OF THE IDEA
One shared desire,
two places.
The village began with a profound question: how can we once again create places where quality of life, care for relationships and connection with nature are central to everyday experience?
THE JOURNEY
Belonging, mutual support, sharing, personal growth and a balance between individual and collective life found a common direction: creating a healthy, conscious community connected with nature.
THE QUESTION
In each person’s personal and professional journey, the experience of contemporary life—accelerated rhythms, individualisation and distance from community—opened a shared enquiry. From this came the desire to create a human ecosystem integrating care, learning, shared life and connection with the local area: a place to experiment with new ways of living without losing sight of the individual and their talents.
THE GROUP
The founding group came together in June 2026. Although they had not previously known one another deeply—with the exception of Ilaria and Biagio, who are also partners—they shared the motivation to build an intentional community capable of creating positive impact and becoming an example that other places could adapt.
THE FOUNDATIONS
From the beginning the group worked on the relational and emotional foundations of the emerging community: facilitated processes with professionals, study of community governance and a course in sociocracy. It also won the Appennino Hub call and joined a six-month programme to refine the idea, define the model and prepare the project presentation. During the year the group moved geographically closer, relocating to the Cesena area to focus time, energy and presence.
THE CHOICE
Along the way the group chose to follow two sister directions: Ilaria and Biagio recognised this village in Missano as the place to inhabit and grow as Akupara; Elisa and Michele are directing their work towards a sister project in Romagna.
TWO DIRECTIONS · ONE ROOT
Sister project · Romagna
Elisa and Michele are developing an independent direction in Romagna, keeping a shared root and the possibility of future collaboration.
Discover Elisa’s work Discover RigevolvereThe group is formed
Different journeys meet around a shared motivation.
Building the foundations
Facilitation, sociocracy and governance become practical tools.
Closer to the project
The group moves geographically closer to give the journey more time and presence.
Two sister directions
Akupara takes shape in Missano; a sister project begins in Romagna.
THE PROJECT’S COMPASS
Founding values.
Body, emotions, meaning
Care begins by listening to the body and personal story, making space for emotional, relational and spiritual dimensions.
Learning to live together
Relationships are part of the project: dialogue, responsibility, feedback and clear agreements turn living together into a practice.
Regenerating living systems
The village is also soil, water, woodland and crops: a shared home grows as the vitality of its landscape grows.
The two experiences remain independent but share one root: the desire to create places that are more human, relational and connected to living systems. Collaboration can continue through shared people, practices and skills.
This is the story from which Akupara continues to take shape.
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