El Paisaje de la ruta de la plata: desde Potosí al puerto de Arica (XVI-XVIII century). Metodología para el análisis del paisaje histórica y estrategias para el re-uso de las vías de comunicación históricas

The research is oriented towards the study of the features of the historical landscape along the "Silver Road", a historic trail that connected the city of Potosí (Bolivia) with the port of Arica (Chile) from the XVI to XVIII century, used for the transportation of silver extracted from the mines in Potosí. As most of the Colonial Royal roads, this trail was traced reusing the pre-Hispanic system of communication, causing the transformation and re-signification of Landscape. Along the road, a system of colonial rural villages was developed and in each of them catholic churches were built, which are a manifestation of the crossbreeding process between Spanish and local culture. Since pre-colonial times, local inhabitants had developed along these territories a great variety of ingenious agricultural systems, which, during the colonial period, were re-appropriated and exploited for the supply of the main colonial capitals. The study of the entire system of elements connected to this historic trail is essential for the conservation and enhancement of this Historic Landscape. The research, faced with a multidisciplinary approach, used historical research, GIS technologies and fieldwork for the interpretation of Landscape oriented to the rethinking of new alternatives for the reuse of historic trails.