The struggle for Stone-dry walling: the ambition to protect both processes and products

Quoting from the inscription into the Intangible Cultural Heritage List (2018), the art of dry-stone walling concerns “the know-how” related to making stone constructions that explains the interest towards the product process as well as the product itself. The protection of the ability in stones selection and their placement, without mortar or dry soil at most, has moved the attention from walls to walling too. As a result, the idea of authenticity should be rediscussed to preserve not only some existing monuments and amazing landscape, but a living heritage and a sustainable land use. A risk occurs in some coastal areas, both maritime or front lake, and in the valleys, of the Alps or the Apennines. These places are the most sensitive to residential and receptive exploitation; as a result, an aesthetic landscape perception is taking advantage against its structural conception and the authentic art construction for dwelling (buildings), farming (terraced arrangements) or husbandry (cow-walls). The awareness of the role of dry building for the consolidation of the slopes, the protection of the mountain and the harmonious relationship between environments and species the inscription would preserve, is misunderstood. In Italy some evident ambiguities are occurring into practice and local behaviours. Although the inscription has invited preservation program, the governance of the art of terraced arrangement seems often reduced to a picturesque disposal; misunderstood if not betrayed in its authenticity both as a product and as a process. Some case studies are proposed to point out this slipped issue, considering the Lake of Como as an elective observation area. By the presentation of some real examples, both virtuous and critical, a discussion and comparison with other contexts, both national and international, should eventually be favoured