Recuperati dall’oblio. Restauri e riusi di oratori di provincia

After the World War II, in Italy the promotion of parish centres has been a well-known ministry program for youths and families which results on considerable architectures of valuable architects. For this kind of contemporary buildings, preservation is already acting and based on rating. For Lombardy, their collection in based on location, period, and type: a work-in-progress database which grew-up following historiographical directions and suggestions. But many there are which are not amazing architectures. This other legacy creates a thousand of architectural complexes spread all over the parishes, in big towns as in minor villages. They generally stand like cells and creates a micro-community. They are settled close to a church, eventually an existing one; often they merged buildings of different period thus becoming the most difficult heritage one should manage. The paper focuses on such a kind of architecture which lays at the boundaries of institutional preservation. Some case studies help focusing some issues. Their maintenance is a compelling challenge to bring preservation into its original framework. It is finally pointed out: the opportunity to connect different perspectives (social studies, science, and technologies) and scales (architecture and urban space); to question processes (up or down?) and stakeholders (private and public); to involve users (inhabitants and visitors).