Conservazione e gestione del paesaggio attraverso percorsi storici, geografici e strumentali

The concept of landscape has evolved through a process of reconsideration and redefinition in the past seven decades. This concept has been used in a broader scope of action and intervention. Particularly during the last ten years the importance of landscape definition has gone hand in hand with the debate about resource management planning. The analyses and regulation of human activities on landscape has been largely discussed in Europe from several points of view. The word landscape indicates all the visible features of an area that can be seen in a single view. The meaning of this word identifies a link between the object and the viewer. Being the image filtered by the audience, a correct representation of landscape should consider both the aspects of the land characteristics of a particular region and of the people’s point of view. A inter-disciplinary approach is essential in order to register the features of land-cover and to combine them with the values assigned by the community. The complexity increases if we think about the difference between the perspectives of insiders and outsiders and about the fact that they must be seen obviously as collective entities and not as individuals. The quality of natural resources, as well as historical heritage, is conditional on their management. The heritage is therefore an irreplaceable resource for mankind and it is often a synonym of identity, which must be preserved for current and future generations if our goal is sustainable development. Every single element belonging to a specific area takes part to the same complex system that has to be fully managed in a sustainable perspective: the challenge is managing all sources in a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural heritage and biological diversity. In order to improve life-quality the management of the territory must consider not separately economic, social/cultural and environmental perspective. Such shift relates to the managing skills of local institutions and of entrepreneurs if the goal is the stability and success of a long-term collective action for a sustainable resource management, in terms of tax revenues, jobs, additional sources of income to support conservation and valorization strategies.