Quota: a mountain village’s struggle for survival

Quota, (a small village in Tuscany, Italy) rises on the eastern side of the Pratomagno massif, the mountain around which the initial stretch of the Arno river extends, from the springs on Mount Falterona crossing the Casentino valley and lapping Arezzo, to then continue in the direction of Florence. In 2016, an in-depth study of the village of Quota began with a 3D laser scanner survey, following the established interest in historic centres of Casentino. In the meantime, several micro redevelopment projects of the village were conducted, one of which was completed thanks to the collaboration between the Municipality of Poppi and the DiDA Department of Architecture of Florence University. During the survey, examples of a building in danger of being lost to history along with its heritage, handed down for centuries by local workers in terms of materials, colours and techniques, were catalogued. With the advent of the economic boom in the sixties, almost at the same time as the young people were abandoning the village, building methods also changed and the rare renovations carried out in the two decades were entirely disconnected with the urban and environmental context. However, following the repopulation of the village by those who had abandoned it but who, having reached retirement age, returned, a series of restorations more respectful of local tradition were carried out. Unfortunately, the generation that re-inhabited the village has now almost disappeared, so Quota like many other small suburban centres is once again facing a challenge for its survival.