Paesaggi fortificati in transizione. Il caso dei castelli medievali in Sardegna

As is known, looking for new forms of reuse for historical architecture, compatible with the contemporary requirements, is a widely debated issue, and it is even more problematic referred to fortified structures. Their configuration, relative to other architectural typologies, responds to specific functional requests, which give these structures a high level of complexity that significantly decreases the possibility to adapt them to other uses. The Sardinian fortified landscape represents an emblematic case study. Specifically, it is composed of a rich and various stratified heritage, including ancient castles and walled cities, modern coastal towers and Savoy strongholds, up to the most recent military installations of the Second World War and of the Cold War. With specific reference to medieval fortified architectures, the current scenario shows a high heterogeneity, fragmentation and lability which stems, on the one hand, both of continuous use and their transformations, on the other hand, of abandonment, negligence and demolition, carried out over the centuries. These proccesses have determined the increasing of the distributional and functional complexity of defensive structures and, often, a decrease in their accessibility and usability. In conclusion, starting from an overview of current state of the medieval fortified architectures through a multidisciplinary vision, this paper investigates recently actions aimed at the conservation, restoration, reuse and rehabilitation of the Sardinian medieval fortified heritage. The aim is to offer a critical reflection on the several possibilities of enhancement and rehabilitation of the historical architectures that allow them to be the real protagonists in the contemporaneity.