Italian Historical Rural Landscapes: Cultural Values for the Environment and Rural Development (Environmental History Book 1)

Sustainable development and rural policies have pursued strategies where farming has been often regarded as a factor deteriorating the ecosystem. But the current economic, social and environmental problems of the Earth probably call for examples of a positive integration between human society and nature. This research work presents more than a hundred case studies where the historical relationships between man and nature have generated, not deterioration, but cultural, environmental, social and economic values. The results show that is not only the economic face of globalization that is negatively affecting the landscape, but also inappropriate environmental policies. The CBD-UNESCO program on biocultural diversity, the FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems and several projects of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, as well as European rural policies acknowledge the importance of cultural values associated to landscape. This research intends to support these efforts. Over the last few decades, sustainable development and rural development policies have pursued strategies where farming has often been℗¡regarded as a factor disturbing or deteriorating the ecosystem. But the current economic, social and environmental problems of the Earth probably call for a different perspective. We should look for examples of a positive integration between human society and nature, study them, and apply the lesson learnt. This research worкђ́ؤa preliminary study conducted in view of the compilation of a national register of historical rural landscapes and traditional prастісеѕђ́ؤpresents more than a hundred case studies where the historical relationships between man and nature have generated, not deterioration, but cultural, environmental, social and economic values. The project has seen the participation of 14 universities and more than 80 researchers over 3 years. The results show that it℗¡is not only the economic face of globalization that is negatively affecting the landscape, but also inappropriate environmental policies denying the importance of cultural values. Now, however, something is beginning to change at the political and operational level. The recent CBD-UNESCO joint program on biocultural diversity acknowledges the importance of cultural values in landscape preservation, as do the FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems project and several projects promoted by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations. In Europe, rural policies are showing a growing interest in the preservation of biodiversity and the landscape structure of a continent deeply shaped by its history and culture. The European Landscape Convention is inviting EU member states to develop specific policies in this regard, and Italy has included landscape as a strategic objective in its national plan for rural development. This research intends to support these new perspectives Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Italian Historical Rural Landscapes: Dynamics, Data Analysis and Research Findings....Pages 3-87 Assessing the Integrity of the Historical Landscapes....Pages 89-130 The Role of Historical Rural Landscapes in Territorial Planning....Pages 131-139 Rural Landscapes: The Historical Roots of Biodiversity....Pages 141-152 Landscape and Economy....Pages 153-164 Front Matter....Pages 165-165 Valle d’Aosta....Pages 167-173 Piedmont....Pages 175-198 Liguria....Pages 199-219 Lombardy....Pages 221-245 Trentino Alto Adige....Pages 247-262 Friuli Venezia Giulia....Pages 263-278 Veneto....Pages 279-298 Emilia Romagna....Pages 299-318 Tuscany....Pages 319-341 Marche....Pages 343-361 Umbria....Pages 363-383 Lazio....Pages 385-402 Abruzzo....Pages 403-418 Molise....Pages 419-434 Campania....Pages 435-451 Front Matter....Pages 165-165 Basilicata....Pages 453-465 Puglia....Pages 467-487 Calabria....Pages 489-508 Sicily....Pages 509-529 Sardinia....Pages 531-545 Back Matter....Pages 29-29