What Future for Small Historical Centres in Inner Areas? The Case Study of Guardia Sanframondi in the Campania Region

One of the main consequences of the demographic decline of inner areas is the abandonment of a widespread historical-cultural-environmental heritage. In particular, numerous historical centers suffer abandonment processes due not only to the movement from rural areas towards cities but also to that one from historic centers towards more recent, accessible, and efficient settlements built up within the same municipality. The urgency of preserving and recovering such a heritage depends not only on the historical-architectural value of individual buildings but, above all, on the overall cultural value that the network of small rural and mountain historical centers has had over the centuries, especially in Italy. Unfortunately, small municipalities in inner areas complain of great difficulties in preserving and managing such an asset, due to the lack of human, economic, and technological resources. Thus, the overall goal of the research work is providing local administrations with useful tools to triggering regeneration processes of historical centers in inner areas. In detail, this contribution provides a methodology for building up a GIS database to support the recovery and reuse of the historical center of Guardia Sanframondi, in Campania Region, and some preliminary results are provided.