Il paesaggio culturale dell'Alta Langa tra rischi ed emarginazione. Scenari per la salvaguardia del patrimonio e lo sviluppo del territorio

The hilly territory of Alta Langa, in Piedmont, is characterized by a particular extension that makes it distant from the main communication arteries and the most well-known urban centers, distinguishing itself from the more acclaimed territories of the Langhe of Barolo and Barbaresco, now leading tourist destinations. The higher elevations preserve a landscape capable of narrating the events of the medieval and modern eras, witnessed by towers and castles; the memory of the early twentieth century described by Cesare Pavese and Beppe Fenoglio. The ‘malora’ (misery) and depopulation of the post-war period have preserved some villages, built in typical Langa stone, maintaining building traditions and landscape qualities. The architectural projects at the Censa di Placido, a symbolic place of Fenoglio’s memory, in San Benedetto Belbo, and the Lunetta village, in Mombarcaro, now a contemporary art gallery, have been able to give new life to the historical heritage, otherwise destined for abandonment, ensuring the preservation of memory, in respect of the context and traditional features. Starting from these remarks the contribution aims to highlight the state of the art and show some interventions that have been able to combine the needs of conservation with contemporary requirements, thus defining valid solutions, adoptable on a large scale, for the safeguarding of historical memory and the challenge towards a socio-cultural development of Alta Langa.