Abandoned Villages

A MODEL PROPOSAL FOR CONSERVATION OF ABANDONED RURAL SETTLEMENTS IN TURKEY: CASE STUDY OF ODEMIS-LUBBEY VILLAGE
Following the industrial revolution, abandonment and decrease of the population in rural areas are common problems that could be seen all over the world, as a result of various factors. However, many of these abandoned rural settlements have invaluable vernacular assets that bear the traces of past rural life and comprise the spirit of these cultural landscape areas. The de-populization process leads to neglection, gradually deterioration and finally destruction of traditional environment that has been built with the experiences of centuries. Traditional rural settlements whose vulnerabilities increase day by day, reflect the life, architectural approach, building technology, construction techniques, craftsmanship and landscape features of their period and requires a holistic view for its protection. The loss of human life, which is the main element with nature that comprises the rural settlements, not only causes the loss of cultural heritage but also affects natural life, agricultural landscape and bio-diversity negatively. After abandonment rural landscape started to desertificate in short term and become vulnerable against the natural disasters.
Transfering life, culture and architectural fabric of rural settlements to the future generations is critical for the history of humanity. Although there are several recommendations regarding the management and protection of the rural areas in Turkey and in the World, there is a lack of specialized method for the conservation of cultural and natural heritage of abandoned rural settlements with many location-specific issues. Starting from this findings “Rural Architecture, Policies Developed for Rural Areas In Turkey and Europe, Evolution in the Conservation Theory of Rural Heritage”, “Abandonment Reasons and Process in Rural Settlemens, Impacts of Abandonment” and “Re-Evaluation Possibilities of Rural Settlements” chapters were discussed in detail and a conservation model, which can be used on a global scale, developed for the conservation of abandoned rural settlements. It is believed the conservation model can be used in future scientific studies about the conservation of rural settlements and can be developed by the inter-disciplinary contributions.
While first practices about the conservation of rural architecture, which was emerged as moving rural buildings from authenthic locations to an open-air museum, can been understandable by its time, nowadays it can’t be considered as a conservation approach except extraordinary situations.
It can be observed that, traditional rural life has been gradually weakened in settlements, where intense tourism activities carried out and problems like de-populization or abandonment can’t be seen. Not only in some cases that rural settlements have been re-functioned as a museum but also in some touristic uses, a sustainable life can’t always be ensured, therefore several challenges can be encountered in conservation of cultural properties. Tourism, which is used as a toolin developing the life standards and preventing the population loss in rural areas, sometimes creates an intense demand to a specific region and causes withdrawal of local communities from traditional rural life.
In some cases, rural settlements, which have been evacuated because of conflicts, wars, security problems, etc., have been resettled with their former residents after changes in conditions. Altough resettlements start the life in rural environments again, in some cases conservation of cultural heritage isn’t on the agenda and after the resettlement, residents prefer to build new buildings with new materials instead of repairing their traditional buildings. Another option for resettlement of the abandoned rural settlements can be seen in some examples. In this cases new rural residents coming by counter migration from urban centres to countryside start to live in an abandoned rural settlement. However restart of life in an abandoned village by this type of migration can be considered positive, there are some negative impacts like big interventions in restoration of cultural heritage, completely abandonment of traditional rural life, social disharmony between new and old residents, and etc. It can be said all three of museological, tourism and resettlement approaches for re-evaluation of abandoned rural settlements can be implement together or independently. On the other hand it shouldn’t be overlooked that all this approaches are a tool for conservation and vitality of rural settlements. Fragility of the traditional fabric because of long term neglection after abandonment, cultural landscape values, bio-diversity and intangible values should be taken into consideration in the implementation of this re- use alternatives.
As a result of all the researches, analysis and evaluations, the conservation model has been based on five main parts as “Definition of cultural and natural values and importance of the settlement”, “Determination of the re-evaluation alternatives”, “Determination of conservation policies”, “Implementation” and “Monitoring, evaluation and update”.
As a result of implemented policies and radical changes in social life, nowadays large number of rural settlements in Turkey are in the process of abandonment. Certainly, the biggest problem encountered in conservation of rural heritage is the loss of daily life in rural settlements. Although rural heritage in depopulated settlements have melted against the natural conditions by time, some settlements succeed to preserve their authenticity and integrity to a certain extent. On the other hand in some villages, which are more crowded and close to the city centers, authenticity and integrity values of traditional architectural heritage has been destroyed by human beings as a result of new construction pressures. This situation accompanies a big dilemma about conservation of traditional architectural heritage. Conceptual background about conservation of rural heritage has been developed relatively late in Turkey compared to Europe. Therefore Turkey faces different problems in rural areas then other European countries. It can be said that, successful implementations about conservation of rural heritage and preventing depopulation in rural areas in other countries, can be a model for Turkey. However, these successful policies and implementations should be evaluated in line with Turkey’s specific conditions. Based on this analysis, recommendations and evaluations specified to abandoned rural settlements in Turkey have been carried out in the conclusion part of thesis.

The relicts of an abandoned village were discovered during an archaeological field survey in the autumn expedition of 2017. During the following season (2018) we focused on the detailed survey and documentation of the site. A systematic field survey was conducted there, which was based on the collection of finds that are visible on the surface. In the selected part of the site we recorded the visible relicts by total station, sorted and analysed them. We identified 22 linear features, 16 circular/square features and we marked 4 spots which show the area behind the features. Among the finds the Early Middle Age predominantly prevail, nevertheless, finds belonging to the Bronze Age, Late Kushan Period, High Middle Age, Late Middle Age, and Pre -Modern Period were also collected.

Forced population exchange between Turkey and Greece after World War I left many former Greek towns in Turkey unoccupied ever since, in a quasi-archaeological state, as in Kayaköy between modern Fethiye and Ölüdeniz in western Anatolia. Known as Levissi in Greek, the settlement was the largest social and commercial centre of the area. The outgoing exchangees were artisans while the incoming were farmers living in scattered villages around Thessaloniki. Evaluating Kayaköy as unsuitable for their lifestyle, the incomers settled mostly on the coastal band; and the estates allocated for them in Kayaköy were transferred to the State Treasury in 1950s. This State ownership forms the legal basis for a current project to convert one-thirds of Kayaköy into a 300-bed hotel. This paper attempts to outline changing policies of tourism investment in Turkey along this century-long path that eventuated in a decision to convert a prominent Greek town into a tourism resort.

Martins Bay, in South Westland, New Zealand, was the site of the failed settlement of Jamestown. Jamestown was a planned settlement that was established by the Otago Provincial Council in 1870, but the remote and isolated location with poor sea access was never suitable, and the community never thrived. The scheme had effectively failed by the 1880s, although a few settlers persevered until the 1890s.

Castiglioncello and Castelnuovo are border realities between Tuscany, Marche and Emilia-Romagna, presented as paradigms of the peculiar villages of the central Apennines, genetically belonging to the ramified system of medieval castles, and closely connected to an agricultural economy or to the strategic control of communication routes. During the 20th century they have been affected by a progressive process of depopulation and abandonment.
The forma urbis of the two villages is characterized by the founding elements of civil and religious power, a primitive fortress and a small church. These are surrounded by the residential fabric, that has been
shaped by the orography and by the family needs, staging a condition of reciprocity between town and agrarian landscape that is typical of these places.
This contribution is the result of a research led by Maria Grazia Eccheli at the Department of Architecture in Florence and aims to present the role of the architectural design as a knowledge tool, able to highlight structural features of a settlement through a new small scale architectural ‘interlace’ of conservation, integration, addition, volumetric juxtapositions, alternations of solids and voids.
Being able of reading such urban fragments it is possible to derive measures and rules of modern building and to achieve an architectural design suspended between old and new, not rhetorical or mimetic,
nor fascinatingly contemplative, but responding with forms to contemporary life needs and resulting from a timeless, site-specific vocabulary.

1970lerin sonlarından bu yana dönem dönem gündeme gelen, Kayaköy'ü turizm ağırlıklı yoğun kullanıma açma ve karşısında gelişen kültürel miras olarak koruma girişimlerinin geçmişine giden bu yazı, bugün gelinen noktayı daha geniş perspektiften değerlendirmeye katkıda bulunmayı amaçlıyor.

Riflettere  sul  futuro  dei  piccoli  centri  urbani  abbandonati  pone  in  campo  numerose  questioni relative  alla  loro  conservazione  e  valorizzazione;  questioni  che  non  possono  essere  ricondotte esclusivamente ai modi del loro uso bensì da misurarsi rispetto alle soglie possibili di contemperamento tra  la  trasmissione  al  futuro  di  valenze  tangibili  e  significati  immateriali.  Le  esperienze,  non particolarmente numerose, condotte sul territorio italiano mostrano, di contro, come spesso un sito urbano privo di abitanti sia considerato in primis quale mero “contenitore” entro cui calare attività e funzioni relative a un nuovo ciclo storico: sinteticamente, la prospettiva più diffusamente perseguita appare quella di un indifferenziato re-cycling. Alla luce delle esperienze “mancate” e di quelle portate a termine, la questione appare invero ben più complessa ponendo stimolanti quesiti che precedono la programmazione di un processo di conservazione: come considerare le esigenze poste dal senso di identità culturale delle comunità locali? Come contemperare nuovi usi che siano compatibili con i valori intangibili dei luoghi? Come trasformare la perdita di “vitalità” in una possibile risorsa culturale ed economica per le generazioni del presente e del futuro?

Studiare la nostra storia è anche l’esaminare il frutto del lavoro di chi ci ha preceduti nella prospettiva di una progressione nel campo della conoscenza. Vi è anche questo intento nella nuova ricerca di Matteo Colaone, che esamina le fonti circa i paesi scomparsi nel Medioevo all’interno del territorio milanese e insubre, completandoli alla luce delle proprie indagini, condotte direttamente sul campo.
All’estero la ricerca degli insediamenti abbandonati è ben attestata, ma non altrettanto in Italia. Con questo volume l’autore trasporta e riaffronta il tema della ricerca delle Wüstung in un territorio oggi iperurbanizzato e sempre più difficile da “leggere”.
All’intento di ricercare l’originale collocazione topografica di questi paesi, si unisce l’analisi di ciò che ne ha causato la scomparsa. Si intuiscono così le ragioni che hanno determinato la perdita di taluni antichi abitati d’Insubria (non sempre a seguito di eventi bellici o fenomeni naturali), andando a sollevare il velo di più sottili dinamiche; e si comprende come le nostre campagne custodiscano ancora siti per i quali sarebbe l’auspicabile un intervento archeologico, la conservazione e la fruizione in quanto imprescindibile testimonianza del nostro passato.
L’opera si completa con un approfondimento circa la figura e di Carlo Massimo Rota (1878 - 1941), troppo presto dimenticato precursore di questo tipo di indagini in terra milanese e lombarda.
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Collana “Architectura”, Edizioni Ritter, Milano, 2017. 230 pagine, 19 tavole a colori, 4 tavole B/N; con due appendici sulla vita e le opere di Carlo Massimo Rota. Prefazione di Gianluca Padovan.

RELICTS OF THE DESERTED VILLAGES AT THE MASURIAN-MAZOVIAN BORDERLAND.
INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROJECT

The paper presents the proposal for an interdisciplinary, humanistically oriented
analysis of extinct settlements on the example of the results of the author’s research
project realized on the territory of the Pisz county in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie
voivodship. The project, embedded in the current research trend on the transformations
of the contemporary landscape, was focused on the analysis of the relics of the 20th
century extinct settlement structures and their material heritage. The research topic
was based on the compilation of theoretical assumptions of historical geography (e.g.
Koter 1994; Figlus 2016) and fieldwork methodology developed through historical
archeology, including contemporary archeology (e.g. Vařeka et al. 2008). The results
of the study were published in the article on the case study of the disappearing village
– Sokoły Górskie. The research results presented both in the form of cartographic
synthesis and field surveying studies conducted within landscape structures show the
large quantitative and qualitative dimension of transformations that were taking place as a result of violent socioeconomic changes of the 20th century (e.g. rapid depopulation), which were the effect of global armed conflicts.

Batı Anadolu’da, Küçük Menderes havzasında Ödemiş ilçe merkezinden yaklaşık 13 km. uzaklıkta yer alan Lübbey köyü, 1960’lı yıllarla birlikte köy halkının ormancılıktan geçimini sağlayamaz duruma gelmesi ile terkedilerek insansızlaşma sürecine girmiştir. Köy halkı, başta arazisi tarım için daha elverişli olan köyün yaylası Çamyayla’ya olmak üzere Ödemiş ilçe merkezi, İzmir ve İstanbul gibi büyük kentlere göç etmiştir. Günümüzde Lübbey kışlağı ve köy halkının kalıcı olarak yerleştiği yaylağının her ikisi birden Çamyayla olarak anılmaktadır. Terk edilen Lübbey kışlağı, kültür ile doğanın iç içe geçmiş olduğu adeta topoğrafyanın doğal bir uzantısı olan yerleşimiyle ve özgünlüğünü büyük ölçüde koruyarak günümüze ulaşmış olan cami, çamaşırhane, kahvehaneler, okul, çeşmeler, konutlar, depo yapıları, tarlalar ve ormanların oluşturduğu fiziksel dokusuyla döneminin kırsal yaşamı hakkında detaylı bilgiler vermektedir. Bu makale; 1960’lı yıllarla birlikte nüfusunu kaybetmeye başlayan ancak mimari özgünlüğünü ve bütünlüğünü çok büyük oranda koruyarak günümüze ulaşmış olan Lübbey köyünün tarihsel gelişimini, geleneksel mimarisini, geleneksel yapı türlerini, geleneksel yapılarının yapım tekniklerini, plan özelliklerini ve cephe özelliklerini tanıtmak ve doğa şartları karşısında her geçen gün eriyen kırsal mimarinin korunması konusundaki farkındalığı geliştirebilmeyi hedeflemektedir.

This study sets out to specify findings about the process of village abandonment, the course and impact of local conflicts, and about "social fallows" in the late Middle Ages. The Cheb/Eger region was selected for its vast source base in the form of land tax registers (1392–1757). These allow to analyse the socioeconomic, demographic and settlement development of over a hundred villages, year by year. The analysis shows that (1) depopulation was the primary cause of the abandonment process in the late 14th century, possibly triggered by plague epidemics; other factors were of secondary importance, yet on the other hand they also played a part in whether a village would be restored or not; (2) consequences of war damage in the 15th century were quickly overcome, usually within 1–2 years, and in the Cheb Basin they did not result in village abandonment; (3) the individual defunct villages can be interpreted as long-term social fallows indicating economic and demographic problems of farming communities.

Cílem studie je konkretizovat naše poznatky o procesu pustnutí venkovských sídlišť, průběhu a dopadu lokálních konfliktů a o tzv. sociálních úhorech v pozdním středověku. Chebsko bylo vybráno kvůli mimořádné pramenné evidenci v podobě rejstříků zemské berně (1392–1757). Ty dovolují analyzovat sociálně-ekonomický, demografický a sídelní vývoj více než stovky vsí, a to na úrovni jednotlivých usedlostí doslova rok po roce. Analýza ukazuje, že: (1) primárním hybatelem procesu pustnutí koncem 14. století byla depopulace vyvolaná snad morovými vlnami; ostatní faktory měly sekundární význam, na druhé straně však ovlivňovaly, zda bude ves znovu osazena, či naopak zanikne; (2) důsledky válečného plenění v 15. století byly rychle překonávány, obvykle v horizontu 1–2 let a v Chebské pánvi nevedly k pustnutí sídlišť; (3) jednotlivé pusté usedlosti lze interpretovat jako dlouhodobé sociální úhory, indikující hospodářské nebo demografické problémy rolnické komunity.

Nous nous proposons, dans cet article, de démontrer que la propriété foncière a constitué un facteur majeur de différenciation dans le déroulement des phases de transformations physiques à Levissi/Kayaköy, Alatsata/Alaçatı et Litri/Ildırı, après que ces villages de l’Anatolie occidentale furent abandonnés et repeuplés pendant et à la suite des guerres gréco-turques des années 1920. Nous retracerons l’impact qu’ont pu avoir, dans leur diversité, les parcours des différents groupes d’immigrants repeuplant ces villages dans la perception que les habitants actuels ont des implantations grecques préexistantes. Les bouleversements tragiques du premier quart du xxe siècle devenant de plus en plus lointains, on a tendance à convenir de ce que l’espace et le souvenir sont les parties d’un même tout. Cependant, s’appuyant à la fois sur l’histoire orale et l’interprétation de sources secondaires, l’étude comparée des trois espaces cités plus haut se veut une nouvelle piste, une clef de débat face à l’uniformité qui prévaut quant à la perception des mémoires et des transformations de ces trois espaces.

This paper deals with the main events and
processes that contributed to the emptying of
rural settlements in former eastern territories
of Prussia from the modern period to 1939. General
conditions supporting the interruption of
settlement continuity are described with particular
attention paid to the processes occurring
on the territory of Pisz poviat. Features of the
natural environment that characterise this
area, including a large share of forests, lakes
and infertile soils, influenced the formation of
specific types of settlements. The functioning of
numerous small forest settlements was closely
related to manufacturing and production based
on local natural resources. The depopulation
and disappearance of these settlements was
therefore primarily related to the depletion of
these resources and the disappearance of the
outlets. An example illustrating these processes
is the Wielki Las settlement translocated in
the 19th century. As part of the case study, the
landscape relics of its former functioning in its
original location were subjected to preliminary
analysis.

W artykule przedstawiono wybrane zagadnienia dotyczące cmentarzy jako istotnych składowych niezamieszkanych współcześnie wiejskich jednostek osadniczych położonych w części byłych Prus Wschodnich włączonej do Polski w 1945 r. Podjęta została problematyka identyfikacji i rozmieszczenia miejsc pochówku na obszarze badań oraz ich położenia w środowisku geograficznym. Zagadnienia zrealizowano poprzez wykonanie komparatystycznej analizy archiwalnych i aktualnych materiałów kartograficznych oraz analiz przestrzennych z wykorzystaniem technik hGIS. Rezultaty przedstawione w opracowaniu stanowią część wyników badań nt. krajobrazowych skutków przerwania ciągłości osadnictwa, do którego doszło w miejscowościach Warmii, Mazur i Powiśla w końcowym etapie drugiej wojny światowej i po jej zakończeniu.

The article discusses selected issues surrounding cemeteries as important elements of presently abandoned rural settlements located in the part of former East Prussia incorporated into Poland after 1945. It tackles the issue of identification and distribution of burial sites on the researched area and their location in the geographical environment. The discussion is based on a comparative analysis of archival and contemporary cartographic materials and spatial analyses making use of hGIS technology. The results presented in the paper constitute of a part of a study of the impact of the interruption in settlement continuity on landscape in selected localities of the regions of Warmia, Masuria, and Powiśle in the final months of World War II and after the end of the military conflict.

In uscita a fine aprile 2017.
"PAESI SCOMPARSI D’INSUBRIA. Wüstungen medievali tra Milano, Adda e Ticino". Collana “Architectura”, Edizioni Ritter, Milano, 2017.
230 pagine con 19 tavole a colori, 4 tavole B/N; con due appendici sulla vita e le opere di Carlo Massimo Rota. Prefazione di Gianluca Padovan.

Totalwüstung è il termine con cui gli storici di area tedesca definiscono l’abbandono di un insediamento, o meglio -alla lettera- la situazione di ‘desolazione totale’ a seguito di un qualche evento distruttivo d’ordine naturale o umano. Negli studi riguardanti il territorio insubre, il raro utilizzo di questa evocativa definizione in qualche modo rispecchia quanto tale fenomeno, ossia quello della scomparsa di interi paesi, non sia mai stato veramente approfondito.
Scopo di queste righe sarà tornare sul solco di uno studio, purtroppo mai completamente pubblicato, eseguito Carlo Massimo Rota tra il 1919 e il'20),  aggiungendo nuove voci e osservazioni nostre, intendendo focalizzarci sugli indizi attinenti il territorio del Milanese storico fino al XV secolo.
Il saggio contempla 26 casi di paesi scomparsi, di cui: 3 riconoscibili in una realtà oggi esistente; 5 risultati inglobati dall'espansione di Milano; 6 sulla cui esistenza o posizione non è possibile creare ipotesi; 12 di cui è stata fatta un’ipotesi di posizione.

Celem artykułu jest przeglądowe omówienie narracji wytworzonych wokół
wschodniopruskiego krajobrazu, związanych z mitologizacją przestrzeni
zamieszkiwania, szczególnie w kontekście procesów destruktywnych zachodzących w
obrębie miejscowości znajdujących się we włączonej do Polski części Prus Wschodnich.
Współczesna fizjonomia krajobrazu Warmii, Mazur i Powiśla stanowi następstwo
licznych reperkusji wynikających ze zmiany przynależności politycznej obszaru. Należą
do nich m.in. przemiany dokonujące się na płaszczyźnie sposobów percypowania
przestrzeni oraz przekształceń jej warstwy semiotycznej. Uwzględnienie tych
czynników jest kluczowe m.in. w analizach krajobrazowych, w tym dotyczących
terenów opuszczonych miejscowości.

A general model of settlement structures by means of spatial processes and a specification of a special model for an archeological landscape is presented. The study is mainly concerned with the estimation of systematic effects, their proper formulation according to the general model applied, and methods for their estimation and their validation. As an example, the recent and historical settlement structure from a region northeast of the Austrian capital of Vienna has been analyzed.

Nowadays large number of rural settlements in Turkey have already been in the process of abandonment. Certainly, the biggest problem encountered in conservation of rural heritage is the loss of daily life in rural settlements. Although rural heritage in depopulated settlements have melted against the natural conditions by time, some settlements succeed to preserve their authenticity and integrity to a certain extent. On the other hand in some villages, which are more crowded and close to the city centres, authenticity and integrity values of traditional architectural heritage has been destroyed by human beings as a result of new construction pressures. This situation accompanies a big dilemma about conservation of traditional architectural heritage.
Conceptual background about conservation of rural heritage has been developed relatively late in Turkey compared to Europe. Therefore Turkey faces different problems in rural areas then other European countries. It can be said that, successful implementations about conservation of rural heritage and preventing depopulation in rural areas in other countries, can be a model for Turkey. However, these successful policies and implementations should be evaluated in line with Turkey’s specific
conditions.
Based on this analysis, this research aims to contribute by putting forward recommendations and evaluations specified to future of rural settlements in Turkey.

The relicts of an abandoned village were discovered during an archaeological field survey in the autumn expedition of 2017. During the following season (2018) we focused on the detailed survey and documentation of the site. A systematic field survey was conducted there, which was based on the collection of finds that are visible on the surface. In the selected part of the site we recorded the visible relicts by total station, sorted and analysed them. We identified 22 linear features, 16 circular/square features and we marked 4 spots which show the area behind the features. Among the finds the Early Middle Age predominantly prevail, nevertheless, finds belonging to the Bronze Age, Late Kushan Period, High Middle Age, Late Middle Age, and Pre-Modern Period were also collected.

This  paper focuses on illustrating the case of the rehabilitation of Mas Blanco, a village abandoned 15 years ago in the region of Aragon, Spain. As many other mountain villages, Mas Blanco lived off of agriculture, sheep farming and the production of wine. It was traditionally organized around a brotherhood, with representatives of all the families of several villages that managed land and forest as commons. They organised basic services such as the maintenance of roads and health and they also built several community buildings such as an oven, a school, or the teacher’s house. We show in this presentation how the Recartografías association is recovering little by little this old settlement using as formula of management land stewardship and traditional community management of water, land and forests, with the ultimate aim of creating an open-air Museum and a living community of self-organized inhabitants.

The article deals with the transformation of landscape following the delimitation of a state border using the example of the contemporary Polish-Russian borderland. Changes in the material structures of the settlement network and depopulation concern, in particular, localities whose areas have been divided by the border line and those located in the immediate vicinity (within 5 km). Numerous relics of completely depopulated settlement units identifi ed in this space are objects that stand out in the borderland landscape. Thus, they co-create the contemporary landscape identity. The article presents the results of a historical and geographical analysis, showing the distribution of rural settlement units that were liquidated or abandoned as a result of geopolitical changes related to the end of World War II. Moreover, landscape relics of depopulated localities have been identifi ed using measurement data from airborne laser scanning. The destructed objects identifi ed in the historical settlement are among the components of the material memory of the local landscape. They are evidence of the events and socio-political processes that took place over the last few decades in the lands of former East Prussia incorporated into Poland, in particular during the time associated with the delimitation of the current state border.

The article deals with the transformation of landscape following the delimitation of a state border using the example of the contemporary Polish-Russian borderland. Changes in the material structures of the settlement network and depopulation concern, in particular, localities whose areas have been divided by the border line and those located in the immediate vicinity (within 5 km). Numerous relics of completely depopulated settlement units identified in this space are objects that stand out in the borderland landscape. Thus, they co-create the contemporary landscape identity. The article presents the results of a historical and geographical analysis, showing the distribution of rural settlement units that were liquidated or abandoned as a result of geopolitical changes related to the end of World War II. Moreover, landscape relics of depopulated localities have been identified using measurement data from airborne laser scanning. The destructed objects identifi ed in the historical ...

The topic of the small depopulated centres has been dealt till now with an approach aimed to their re-functionalization, sometimes producing results very far from history and from the meanings that those places represent.
Now this issue is dealt with a different perspective, considering that the condition of abandonment can be considered a resource, and not just a cause of degradation. Indeed, the abandonment is an important source of attraction, which permitted to preserve the authenticity of these places and today inspire new interests and temporary returns.

Un esperto illustra il fenomeno delle Wüstungen medievali nel nostro territorio. Oggi non ne ricordiamo più nemmeno il nome come se non fossero mai esistiti. Eppure soltanto fino a qualche secolo fa erano insediamenti umani importanti da un punto di vista economico, sociale, militare o religioso. L’Europa pullula letteralmente di questi luoghi rimossi dalla storia e naturalmente l’area insubrica non fa eccezione. Anzi. È vero che in questo campo alle nostre latitudini le ricerche stanno muovendo ancora i primi passi ma prendendo esempio di quanto avviene in area germanica o anglosassone anche qui ci sono ricercatori appassionati che cercano di riannodare i fili della storia. Un bell’esempio ci viene dalle ricerche dello studioso lombardo Matteo Colaone che ha appena dato alle stampe l’affascinante «Paesi scomparsi d’Insubria» (Ritter). Lo abbiamo intervistato sull’argomento.