History of Oscata inVita

The local community came together to form the association Oscata inVita, established in 2019 following participation in public meetings and assemblies aimed at safeguarding the rural village of Oscata, an ancient farming district of Bisaccia in Alta Irpinia. In the 1950s, Oscata was the most populous district of Bisaccia, with about 600 inhabitants out of the town's 8,000. Today, Oscata has just over 30 residents, while the town counts around 3,500. The depopulation phenomenon has already had visible effects, with many uninhabited houses and ruins, but the association was created to combat the next stage of depopulation: abandonment. The 2019 meetings, open to institutions, administrators, citizens, activists, associations, and businesses, helped raise collective awareness about this risk. From this awareness arose the need to establish an association in the form of a Pro Loco, with the goal of revitalizing the social, environmental, and cultural context, promoting and encouraging active citizenship initiatives through bottom-up planning and projects.