“SACRED LANDSCAPE” AT RISK OF OBLIVION. A POSSIBLE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CONSERVA-TION OF COLLECTIVE MEMORY, RESTORATION, AND ENHANCEMENT OF RELIGIOUS CULTURAL HERITAGE

The consideration of the proposed theme arises from the awareness that transformations, disposal, abandonment, and underuse of the religious architectural heritage and Chris-tian places of worship do not historically constitute an excep-tion but rather a recurring theme. When a community of faithful stops meeting, for whatever reason, it is very probable that there is no longer a need for a reli-gious building. In particular, a church where liturgical use ceases is no longer one without any reference to its architectural form. With the current decrease in vocations and the contraction of active clergy on the national territory, the theme of a heritage that has become redundant concerning use, vastly underutilized, or even abandoned is a highly topical issue today [1]. We are witnessing a significant paradigm shift: a heritage in ruins for the Church can become a “historical monument” for the community (not necessarily of the faithful). This heritage renews its identity and becomes the repository of a substantial memorial and social value not necessarily linked to a religious function. If, on the one hand, therefore, this phenomenon initiates a virtuous process of attention and care for the heritage itself by protection bodies and public opinion, on the other hand, this crystallization of the historical, architectural, and artistic value of the property can lead to discouraging the formation of new communities interested in starting new forms of regeneration and reuse. The objective of the proposed contribution is to develop a reflection on the theme in light of preservation, conservation, and enhancement activities promoted on the Italian territory in the last twenty years.