Risk Assessment for the Conservation of the Rural Architectural Heritage in Lower Brescia Province
摘要
The lower Brescia plains are characterised by a landscape dominated by cultivated fields and the archetypal rural architecture of Lombardy—the cascine (farmsteads). These structures constitute an essential part of the area’s cultural heritage as tangible and material elements and as repositories of intangible values and traditions. Consequently, their protection and preservation are paramount. This research, undertaken in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia, aims to develop a practical and effective tool to safeguard this heritage by evaluating the potential risks it faces. The hazards considered fall into two broad categories: natural phenomena, encompassing seismic and hydrogeological events, and anthropogenic threats. The latter category comprises risks associated with rural depopulation and abandonment, inadequate protection measures for conservation purposes, and the potential loss of the cascine’s historical, cultural, and technical features. The assessment factored in various levels of protection, ranging from national to local, by consulting the Codice dei Beni Culturali (Cultural Heritage Code) and relevant landscape plans. This analysis culminated in the mapping of the farms of historical and cultural interest across the lower Brescia plains, alongside an evaluation of their vulnerability to the identified risk factors. Informed by this assessment, subsequent steps involved the preparation of documentation and tools to facilitate the monitoring and conservation of Brescia’s vernacular heritage. The creation of standardised conservation status report cards for these assets, based on the analysis, presents a potential new monitoring tool for local authorities entrusted with safeguarding vernacular architecture.