THE DIMENSIONS OF FRAGILITY. BETWEEN CONSOLIDATED ABANDONMENT PROCESSES AND TRACES OF RESILIENCE.

The paper investigates how in light of the profound changes in economic, socio-cultural, and migratory flows, the phe-nomenon of depopulation and the abandonment of peripheral territories with historical-identity value is crucial today. The objects of this investigation are the named “fragile territories”, or “forgotten territories”. They are the least strategic places, far from spread urban areas, where most of the world’s population is concentrated today. However, they are the places where historically, communities have expressed themselves in a different relationship between urban dimension and territory. The analyzed territories are Italy’s inner area, located especially on the mountainous land or in the less strategic regions. However, it is possible to recognize an invaluable cultural heritage and several lines - natural or an-thropic - which have determined in the past - and still today - the economic development and landscape morphology. Reading its historical watermark means understanding the material and immaterial physiognomy, which still marks the territory with visible signs. This paper aims to demonstrate how the nowadays conditions after the world economic crisis, but even more due to the pandemic emergency, imposes new strategic visions, starting from what is closest to us. In light of this, patrimony and cultural heritage concepts, as qualities to be acknowledged from the collective conscience, are essential to make full urban spaces and forms in the territories today. The outcome is to understand how in architectural and urban regeneration projects, multiple methodologies and ap-proaches are required for establishing strategy in the abandoned places. Architecture has the capability to revive and to rethink a potential future for the country’s internal territories. Each place has specific dynamics and characteristics to be investigated, which becomes the basis for defining a response to specific problems. The aim is to build a new sense of place through original and innovative ability to react and resilience. Increasing concrete proposals, new forms of devel-opment will promote energy catalysts and activators of the areas in which they are located.