Il rudere come time-landmark del paesaggio storico

Ruins as Time-Landmark of the Landscape Evolution. Ruins and uselessness are often intended as correlated concepts. This relationship descends from the common idea that what has no intended use is useless. On the contrary, every place or building that has no use is destined to be abandoned and later to become a ruin. What future for ruins, then? This study investigates on a deeper meaning of the terms ‘use’ and ‘useless’ in the case of monuments in the condition of ruin. In fact, architecturally, the state of being used is a prime condition for conservation and a building without function is itself a paradox. As opposite, the preservation of a ruin passes through the acknowledgment of different kind of uses, including the aesthetic or purely contemplative aspects of utility. This research proposes a new role for ruins in the landscape-cultural mosaic, that makes the pair ruin/useless not always true. Ruins, in fact, represent chronological witness of historical evolution of settlements and effective pretexts for sustainable transformations.