Arquitectura vernácula: memoria y protección. El caso italiano desde el abandono hasta el reconocimiento de un nuevo patrimonio

The vernacular architecture belongs to a culture, which is grounded on memory and tradition, enriched by experience, that is handed down by the individual. The lack of a critical past consciousness and the tradition continuity did not permit the perception of the difference between existing and new buildings. In Italy, at the end of the mid-century, the transition from an agricultural to an industrial economy, the consequent internal migrations, the extension of the compulsory schooling and the diffusion of the television contributed to interrupt the direct communication with the result of homogenizing the national culture and removing the local cultural peculiarities. So, an anthropological caesura arises. The attraction of the new lifestyles caused a refusal of the traditional architecture, often with the aim at repelling a humble past, felt as embarrassment. When the anthropological caesura appears, the difference between past and present emerges clearly in people consciousness; this originates the regret of something that was lost and people want to reconquer. This regret has caused two tendencies, on one hand the recourse to a reassuring traditional style, on the other hand the need of safeguarding material testimonies. The process of retrieval of the historical city centres had already happened often with negative results. A “recolonization” of historical villages and rural buildings is presently developing, frequently with the purpose to repossess our roots, but without capability for readjustment to lifestyles of tradition, neither comprehension of traditional building techniques. So a risk arises to the historical vernacular features preservation.