The state of the Italian school buildings: an overview

In Italy. An intervention that becomes more complex if we are dealing with a restricted asset pursuant to the Cultural Heritage law of 2004 (and its upgrades). This, in fact, means adding a further constraint to those to which buildings, in general, and school buildings, as particular subject of this paper, are subjected. All this in the light of the need for a functional adaptation, in particular with regard to the new pedagogical and, therefore, didactic needs, to which the existing buildings do not seem to offer an adequate response. The “reform” of school buildings in Italy has been a binding issue since the unification of the country, i.e. from the second half of the 19th century to nowadays. Making a very summary distinction, the theme of the school building was, until the 1970s, mainly linked to pedagogical, learning, education and training criteria. From the 1970s onwards, attention to the school building took into account not only the necessary criteria for good planning, considering teaching and shared spaces, leisure and refreshment areas, but also the maintenance of the structures of existing ones.