Revitalising Small Historical Villages through Social, Economic, Cultural and Energy Efficiency Assets Italian Examples and Methodological Approaches

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Published: Apr 28, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/ta.34034
Keywords:
Small historical villages Cultural heritage renovation Energy Communities
Laura Sacchetti
University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1067-5645
Emanuele Piaia
University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8911-7410
Valentina Frighi
University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9082-8746
Ilaria Spasari
University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture
Abstract

Cultural heritage and historical buildings, accounting for over 30% of the overall European building stock, need to be preserved as much as possible, on account of their role in representing the cultural identity of a community, and to be renovated in response to the sociocultural need to maintain historical cities and the environmental need to reduce the global energy demand of existing buildings.


Small historical villages, and in particular those with fewer than 5.000 inhabitants, are undergoing a declining process, due to the lack of infrastructure, services, cultural attractiveness and because of the inadequate actions aimed at their valorisation. They are often underused, abandoned or neglected, thus risking to be affected by severe degradation. For this reason, European and national directives strongly encourage actions targeting the revitalisation of small villages, in order to preserve their historical heritage and improve their energy efficiency. This study aims at investigating Italian examples of revitalisation of small historical towns, showcasing what strategies they employed for the maximisation of social engagement and inclusion, reduction of the environmental impact and energy efficiency improvement. This paper will propose a methodological approach leading towards the creation of Energy Communities within small historical villages, not only addressing the need for clean energy supply and environmental impact mitigation, but also respecting and preserving the heritage value and covering the social, economic, cultural aspects of the revitalisation.

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Author Biographies
Laura Sacchetti, University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture

Laura Sacchetti is Architect and PhD candidate in Architecture and Urban Planning (IDAUP) at the University of Ferrara. She is involved in research activities in the field of Architecture Technology, she is author of a monograph and several scientific papers, and she collaborates in research projects and academic activities at the Department of Architecture of Ferrara.

Emanuele Piaia, University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture

Emanuele Piaia, Architect and PhD, Associate Professor of Architecture Technology at the University of Ferrara. His main research interests consist in: building process; energy efficiency; renovation, maintenance and conservation of the existing buiilding stock, including the cultural heritage. Co-founder of the spin-offs Wideline Srl and Inception Srl.

Valentina Frighi, University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture

Valentina Frighi is Architect and Researcher at the Department of Architecture of Ferrara. Her research interests lie in the field of architectural technology, focusing on building envelopes, (innovative) building materials and components, environmental design and building performances. She has authored two monographs and papers for many journals; collaborates on national and international research projects; acts as reviewer and has been part of scientific committees for a number of conferences.

Ilaria Spasari, University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture

Ilaria Spasari, Architect, is a PhD candidate at the Department of Architecture of Ferrara. He carries out research mainly in the field of Architectural Technology and the digitization of the building process. She is the author of several scientific articles and collaborates in teaching activities and national and international research projects.

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