Exploring rural heritage in central Sicily (Italy). Proposals for cataloguing, protection and valorisation: the case study of Fondaco Cuba

Rural architecture in Italy has a significant impact on the landscape, revealing itself through a vast and varied array of structures and building typologies that demonstrate a fundamental link between culture and natural context. Man and nature’s interactions are manifested through a series of spaces designed for living and farming, along with other material elements that create recognizable historical and anthropological units. Besides being tangible signs on the territory, these structures also convey many intangible values associated with cultivation practices, traditional economies, ways of living, and crossing places. The rural landscape of Sicily maintains its essential character and specific identity. Recognizing important qualities from a constructive and formal point of view allows us to distinguish this landscape from others and identify a heritage that deserves to be preserved. This work summarizes the first results of wider research aimed at carrying out a cognitive investigation on rural constructions in Central Sicily to deepen the understanding of the settlement dynamics and transformations of this area. Following a census activity, carried out on recent guidelines established by the Italian Central Institute for Cataloguing and Documentation, the essay focuses on an emblematic case study where innovative knowledge activities were carried out to support conservative rehabilitation strategies and local development processes.