The Rural Vernacular Habitat, a Heritage in Our Landscape
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FFuturopauturopa For a new vision of landscape and territory A Council of Europe Magazine no 1 / 2008 – English Landscape Territory Nature The rural vernacular habitat, Culture Heritage a heritage Human beings in our landscape Society Sustainable development Ethics Aesthetic Inhabitants Perception Inspiration Genius loci kg712953_Futuropa.indd 1 25/03/08 15:46:52 n o 1 – 2008 Chief Editors Robert Palmer Director of Culture and Cultural and FFuturopauturopa Natural Heritage of the Council of Europe Daniel Thérond Deputy Director of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Council of Europe Editorial Director of publication Maguelonne Dejeant-Pons Gabriella Battani-Dragoni ..............................................................................3 Head of the Cultural Heritage, Landscape and Spatial Planning Presentation Division of the Council of Europe The vernacular rural heritage: from the past to the future With the cooperation of Alison Cardwell, Adminstrator, Franco Sangiorgi ..............................................................................................4 Cultural Heritage, Landscape and Spatial Planning Division Pascale Doré, Assistant, Cultural Rural Vernacular Heritage and Landscape in Europe Heritage, Landscape and Spatial Farms and landscape of the Netherlands: rural vernacular architecture Planning Division of the Low Countries Ellen Van Olst ...........................................................6 Concept and editing Barbara Howes The industrial architecture of the Llobregat valleys in Spain: a valuable Sarah Haase cultural landscape in the process of change Joan Ganyet i Solé ................8 Joseph Carew Vernacular architecture in “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” Special Advisor Victoria Momeva-Altiparmakovska ..............................................................9 Stella Agostini, Institute of Agrarian Engineering, Rural vernacular heritage and people in France Brigitte Sabattini ..........10 University of Milan, Italy Small sacred architecture: an indispensable part of the landscape, Printer not only in Slovakia Pavlina Misikova .......................................................12 Bietlot – Gilly (Belgium) The Norwegian rural landscape and its built heritage Even Gaukstad ....13 Articles may be freely reprinted provided that reference is made to the source Vernacular heritage in Romania Gheorghe Patrascu ................................14 and a copy sent to the Editor. Rural vernacular architecture of the Maltese landscape Ernest Vella .......15 The copyright of all illustrations is reserved. New approches to historic farmsteads in the United Kingdom The opinions expressed in this publication Jeremy Lake ...................................................................................................16 are those of the authors Croatia: An example of the old village of Posavski Bregi Silvija Nikšic´ ....17 and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the Council of Europe. Viewpoints © Cover by Manus Curran ([email protected]), Saint Coleman Farm and landscape in Germany: re-use of rural buildings Abbey, Inishbofi n, Ireland Peter Epinatjeff ..............................................................................................18 Specifi c features of the vernacular habitat in Russian culture TThishis iissuessue hhasas sseeneen pprintedrinted wwithith tthehe fi nnancialancial ssupportupport ooff tthehe MMinistryinistry Marina Kuleshova and Tamara Semenova ...............................................20 ooff EEducationducation aandnd CCultureulture ooff HHungaryungary Agriculture, land and people’s identity in Italy Stella Agostini .................22 aandnd ooff tthehe FFederalederal OOffiffi ccee fforor tthehe EEnvironmentnvironment ooff SSwitzerlandwitzerland European Island Farm Landscapes Network Transnational Cooperation Project Graham Drucker ............................................................................24 Elsewhere in the world Vernacular European infl uences in Argentina Jorge Tomasi .....................25 Vernacular European infl uences in Brazil: the example of the Campinas Metropolitan Region Maria Elena Ferreira Machado ..............................26 An example of vernacular architecture in Peru: European architecture of Lima in the 19th and 20th Centuries Fanny Montesinos Sandoval ....27 Marina Kuleshova Arquitectura Mestiza in the Spanish Colonial Philippines Vincent Pinpin .28 Other international bodies UNESCO – Rural vernacular architecture: an underrated and vulnerable heritage Marielle Richon ............................................................................29 Council of Europe – A comparative reading of the Granada and Florence Conventions: an alliance between architectural heritage and landscape Maguelonne Déjeant-Pons ...........................................................................30 ICOMOS – A Charter for Vernacular Architecture Marc de Caraffe .........31 Vernacular habitat of Southern Russia kg712953_Futuropa.indd 2 25/03/08 15:46:55 Editorial The rural vernacular habitat, C a heritage in our landscape All across Europe, the rural environment is treasured Linked to both of these causes for its beautiful diversity. Many Europeans cherish is perhaps the greatest threat: the opportunity to spend time in a more natural and society’s general under-valuing of traditional setting in a particular region. Indeed, the this form of heritage. It has long been rural world as a whole is a priceless part of our heritage, the “poor relation” of the heritage sector, Service photo du Conseil de l’Europe and the unique vernacular architecture of a region perhaps overlooked in favour of more splendid refl ects and supports that region’s own identity. Beyond monuments or areas of outstanding beauty. For their its aesthetic value, it provides a unique and irreplaceable part, local communities, while appreciative of their built record of certain aspects of intangible heritage: local heritage, may not recognise its full value because to them responses to the conditions of everyday life, such as it is so familiar. This is an area in which the Council techniques and skills, and ways of organising social life. of Europe’s European Landscape Convention leads the fi eld in terms of heritage protection: it underlines the importance of appreciating and protecting the value of In spite of its immense worth, rural vernacular heritage all types of landscape. is threatened on several fronts. Worldwide economic, cultural and architectural homogenisation of the agricultural sector is in large measure responsible for Indeed, the rural habitat is not a museum-piece. It is developments in the rural habitat. Rather than repair not fi xed or static, a curiosity to be wrapped in cotton buildings or remain faithful to local tradition when wool. In order to preserve this heritage, it must be fully building new ones, it is often more practical in the integrated into the modern life of the community in short-term to opt for modern, featureless buildings. Rural such a way as to retain local practices and ways of life. depopulation, itself in part a result of the homogenising Redundant buildings can be readapted and re-used, in industrialisation of agriculture, may leave buildings particular to exploit the economic potential which can disused and perhaps abandoned to people who do not see be derived from rural tourism. Vernacular architecture, or care about their inherent value. seldom involves isolated sites – it is therefore desirable to form networks of related sites which are then more able to mobilise support. This brings further benefi ts in that it provides opportunities to share expertise. This issue of the Council of Europe’s magazine “Futuropa” brings together articles from experts from Europe and other parts of the world. It is through generating concern for this vital sector of heritage, and promoting co-operation from the international to the local level, that we can ensure that, rather than losing this vital link with our past, we will pass it on, intact and thriving, to future generations. Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni Director General of Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe Futuropa no 1 / 2008 3 kg712953_Futuropa.indd 3 25/03/08 15:46:57 Presentation Giovanni Cascone The vernacular rural heritage: from the past to the future Rural heritage includes architectural old farm buildings and dwellings of no As long as the traditional rural building and landscape features. These include use at all. In Italy, there are more than keeps its territorial identity, it belongs dwellings and production units, like sta- 5.5 million rural buildings and 1.5 mil- to the cultural heritage that is worthy of bles, piggeries, silos, barns, which have lion have been totally abandoned. safeguard. Obviously, the reconstruc- been shaped and developed over time tion of a historical scenario, incompat- until mechanisation, brought about by While in the past, the use of materi- ible with modern production, is out of industrial development, altered the als and labour was strictly local and the question, because the rich variety of relationship between people and their bound to tradition, nowadays, the use this traditional landscape, safeguarded land irreversibly and made the need of new technologies and building tech- in the past by the farmer’s constant for labour less necessary. Traditionally, niques has introduced elements and care, would demand such commitment rural settlements represent the best styles that are