Imprenditoria immigrata nei borghi storici delle Marche

This study examines the role of immigrant entrepreneurship in the historic vil- lages of the Marche region, combining statistical analysis with territorial observation. The region, characterized by a polycentric network of more than 400 historic settle- ments, faces complex demographic dynamics: depopulation, ageing, and economic fragility, further exacerbated by the 2016 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, immigrant entrepreneurship emerges as a driver of resilience and in- novation, contributing to socio-economic revitalization and diversifying the tourism economy. Since the early 2000s, foreign-owned businesses have steadily increased, showing progressive qualification and sectoral diversification: from ethnic gastronomy to artistic handicrafts, from multilingual tourist services to diffused hospitality, up to specialized clusters in technological and agro-food fields. Their spatial distribution re- veals specific territorial patterns: concentrations in coastal and hilly areas, rarefaction in mountain contexts, peripheral buffer zones around villages, and network systems along main communication axes. Through five case studies (Camerino, Grottammare, Frontino, Offida and Acquasanta Terme), the research highlights integration strate- gies blending local traditions with migrants’ cultural competences, fostering off-season tourism and the enhancement of cultural heritage. Overall, findings suggest the emer- gence of a distinctive “Marchigian path” to immigrant entrepreneurship, capable of generating local development and new forms of cultural and economic hybridization.