Enhance the Public Space: An Ecomuseum for Monterosso Almo (RG) in Sicily

Abstract

The city has become the place of sustainability and public space is one of the main elements of this concept: it does not consume land, it recovers the existing building assets, it works with requalification, re-design, accessibility and availability. In this sense, public space takes on an ecological and environmental connotation, supported by a growing respect for nature. Nowadays, in historical small towns, all works addressing the public space acknowledge an overlapping of traces and testimonies that identify those space as assets to be protected, but also made available to the public. In this regard, it is also necessary to protect the buildings that define this space. A tool is enhancement. Enhancement means taking actions aimed at giving value. Its objectives focus by integrating the architectural heritage into contemporary life, by strengthening social development, as well as the economy, and defining its roots and identity. Today, enhancement connects the past with the future and provides an occasion to highlight the tangible and intangible resources safeguarded by such heritage. For ordinary heritage the only possible strategy is represented by eco-museums, through a systemic approach towards all tangible and intangible elements. The case study is a very small town in the country of Ragusa, Sicily, Italy, is considered a “cultural, natural and architectonical landscape” and reflects the combined works of nature and humankind, where cultural heritage is located both in rural areas, both in center of town. The city has an interesting old town consisting in two important historical area: Matrice district and San Giovanni district. In them there are small palaces built almost all after the earthquake of 1693, beautiful churches even older, beautiful woods and views that design public space. This research is aimed at retrieving the present architecture and landscape by using the existing structures to leave an indelible mark on renovation projects. The enhancement project guides the birth of the eco-museum; it identifies, selects and recovers the existing building assets, proposing attractive and economically interesting functions for public space. An action based on eco-museums helps breathing new life into a community and its heritage, promoting life, economy and tourism.