Universally recognized as «joint creations of man and nature» by Article 1 of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, cultural landscapes bear witness to the paths and evolution that individual societies undergo over time to shape themselves under the pressure and the influence of opportunities and, also, of the constraints deriving from the natural environment and from socio-cultural and economic contexts. These landscapes, whose protection represents a fundamental tool towards the sustainable use of the territory and the protection of biodiversity, are divided into three categories: a first category identifies landscapes defined as designed and intentionally created by man – e.g. gardens and parks associated with religious or monumental buildings and complexes –; a second category includes organically evolved landscapes, which have developed their cur rent structure by virtue of and in response to the surrounding natural environment; finally, the third and last category consists of the so-called associative cultural landscapes, whose inclusion in the World Heritage List is justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic or cultural associations held by the natural element considered in them. These landscapes are placed at the centre of a virtuous planning which, leveraging the peculiar characteristics of the individual territorial contexts, represents a vital step towards sustainable economic development based on enhancing the attractiveness of the contexts themselves. In light of these considerations, the present contribution intends to analyse the vineyards of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato – Piedmont –, which include five distinct wine areas and a castle, namely: The Langa del Barolo, the hills of Barbaresco, Nizza Monferrato and the Barbera, Canelli and Asti Spumante, Monferrato degli Infernot and, finally, the Castle of Grinzane Cavour. A wonderful example of human interaction with his natural environment, the vineyards are the result of a long and slow evolution of the tradition and of the winemaking skills present, of a continuous adaptation of the vines to soils with specific pedoclimatic components, an adaptation that, necessarily, it is linked to oenological competence. This process has, in the aforementioned space-time dimension under analysis, become an international reference point, and the re sulting wine landscape, which expresses remarkable aesthetic qualities, constitutes an archetype of European vineyards, and whose authenticity and integrity are the driving force for the development of concrete tourism development strategies.
Cultural tourism and the World Heritage List: the cultural landscapes of the Langhe-Roero and Monferrato vineyards
Simona Giordano
2023-01-01
Abstract
Universally recognized as «joint creations of man and nature» by Article 1 of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, cultural landscapes bear witness to the paths and evolution that individual societies undergo over time to shape themselves under the pressure and the influence of opportunities and, also, of the constraints deriving from the natural environment and from socio-cultural and economic contexts. These landscapes, whose protection represents a fundamental tool towards the sustainable use of the territory and the protection of biodiversity, are divided into three categories: a first category identifies landscapes defined as designed and intentionally created by man – e.g. gardens and parks associated with religious or monumental buildings and complexes –; a second category includes organically evolved landscapes, which have developed their cur rent structure by virtue of and in response to the surrounding natural environment; finally, the third and last category consists of the so-called associative cultural landscapes, whose inclusion in the World Heritage List is justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic or cultural associations held by the natural element considered in them. These landscapes are placed at the centre of a virtuous planning which, leveraging the peculiar characteristics of the individual territorial contexts, represents a vital step towards sustainable economic development based on enhancing the attractiveness of the contexts themselves. In light of these considerations, the present contribution intends to analyse the vineyards of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato – Piedmont –, which include five distinct wine areas and a castle, namely: The Langa del Barolo, the hills of Barbaresco, Nizza Monferrato and the Barbera, Canelli and Asti Spumante, Monferrato degli Infernot and, finally, the Castle of Grinzane Cavour. A wonderful example of human interaction with his natural environment, the vineyards are the result of a long and slow evolution of the tradition and of the winemaking skills present, of a continuous adaptation of the vines to soils with specific pedoclimatic components, an adaptation that, necessarily, it is linked to oenological competence. This process has, in the aforementioned space-time dimension under analysis, become an international reference point, and the re sulting wine landscape, which expresses remarkable aesthetic qualities, constitutes an archetype of European vineyards, and whose authenticity and integrity are the driving force for the development of concrete tourism development strategies.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
