Economic growth at Santo Stefano di Sessanio is intentionally local and skill-based. 100% of suppliers are local, supporting small farms, artisans, and producers across the surrounding region. 

Food, furnishings, cultural experiences, and services are sourced from nearby communities, ensuring tourism revenue circulates locally rather than leaving the territory.

Employment opportunities extend beyond hospitality roles to include traditional crafts, food production, guiding, and cultural workshops such as breadmaking, pottery, and weaving. The restoration of an original loom and collaboration with a local artisan to revive weaving traditions exemplify how economic activity is tied to cultural continuity.

In addition, Sextantio cooperates with universities and private institutions to support job training for students and young adults, linking heritage preservation with future skills development. In an area once marked by emigration and economic decline, the project contributes to stable employment, local entrepreneurship, and the revitalisation of a rural economy rooted in place.

Sextantio’s project in Santo Stefano di Sessanio demonstrates how historic rural villages can be regenerated without erasing their identity. 

Since 1999, the initiative has focused on restoring abandoned medieval buildings using original materials, traditional techniques, and strict conservation principles—without any new concrete construction.

At the time of intervention, the village had experienced a population decline of nearly 90%, with over 75.5% of homes unoccupied in 2001. Today, despite the 2009 earthquake, more than 20 hospitality structures operate within the restored village, compared to just three prior to the project, with the Albergo Diffuso accounting for approximately 30% of available rooms. The approach safeguards architectural integrity while reactivating spaces once lost to abandonment.

Crucially, the project protects not only individual buildings but the relationship between landscape, settlement, and community. By banning new construction and maintaining original volumes, materials, and traces of daily life, Sextantio has helped preserve the medieval hill-town landscape from speculative development. This model demonstrates how sustainable tourism can support long-term community continuity rather than short-term extraction.

Responsible resource use is embedded in every stage of the Santo Stefano di Sessanio project. 100% of furniture and interiors are made from reclaimed or recycled materials, including ancient woods, ceramics, and restored historical furnishings. When new elements are required, they are handcrafted using reclaimed materials to ensure visual and material continuity with the village’s historic character.

The hotel operates with a strict no-plastic policy across all departments and guest rooms, replacing industrial products with homemade soaps, beeswax candles, recycled paper, and glass. All food is sourced from local, sustainable farms, reinforcing short supply chains and seasonal production.

Food waste is actively reduced through cooperation with local ONLUS charities, while energy use is minimised through efficient electrical systems and operational practices such as shutting off heating in unoccupied rooms. 

Together, these measures reflect a circular economy approach that minimises waste, reduces environmental impact, and strengthens local production systems.