Perspectives in the Debate on the Future of Abandoned Heritage in Inner Areas. The Contribution of Architectural Preservation in the Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract

This contribution offers a summary - admittedly not exhaustive - of the research directions regarding the future of abandoned heritage in inland areas in the post-pandemic era. The terminus post quem for this investigation is not so much the pandemic itself (which, as we know, has amplified an already vibrant interest in the subject) but rather the conference “Un paese ci vuole”. Studi e prospettive per i centri abbandonati e in via di spopolamento, held at the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria in 2018. Indeed, that initiative sought to draw attention to an issue that had already been the focus of significant policies yet remained somewhat overlooked in architectural heritage preservation. This contribution is neither a strictly bibliographic essay nor a systematic survey of the state of studies dedicated by the restoration discipline to this theme since the conference. Instead, it explores scientific and methodological contributions related to the conservation and enhancement of architectural and urban heritage in inland areas, beginning precisely with the themes that emerged during that event. Naturally, the perspective here is partial and should be situated within the broader context of studies on inland areas, depopulation, and strategies to hinder it from outlining the guidelines by which the discipline of architectural restoration could contribute – both methodologically and operationally – to the debate on this topic.