From territory to buildings: Arquata del Tronto in a diachronic perspective

The mountain area between Umbria and the Marche, which was frequently hit by devastating earthquakes, is today a borderline case among the 'inner' or 'fragile areas': reconsidering the long-term relationships between social life and the construction of the towns, the land use, the communication routes, gives a sense and a measure to the rehabilitation and preservation of two buildings, the Rocca and the convent of San Francesco, which are the symbols of Arquata, but also highlights the roots of a deeper and more remote crisis. The studies on the Marche, after World War II, early proved the usefulness of seeing in a historical perspective topics which are today fundamental, as the environment and the sustainability, and are an essential premise of this attempt.