La valorizzazione del patrimonio nautico - I casi di Sergio Spina e Storie di Barche di Roberto Guzzardi.

We can define this thesis as a design research project situated within the field of traditional nautical heritage. The reasons why it qualifies as design research will be further elaborated in the following chapters. First, however, let us focus on why this thesis “navigates”, or at least attempts to navigate, the turbulent sea known as heritage, and in particular, heritage related to nautical traditions. A sea in turmoil, increasingly so in today’s context, and one that, despite various crises, seems determined to assert itself as a field we are likely to hear more and more about in the near future. We are, in fact, living in a context where words like reuse, recycling, recovery, as well as sustainability, durability, and valorization are increasingly present in everyday discourse, especially in fields related to design and planning. It is therefore only natural that these concepts also reflect upon the nautical world, particularly in relation to a heritage that still has many untapped aspects, which may prove especially intresting in this specific historical moment. This is a time when naval and nautical heritage is becoming increasingly attractive, as well as more widely appreciated, and it is therefore ever more urgent to explore and understand as many of its dimensions as possible, in order to grasp its full range of possibilities and potential. Indeed, while today we may openly question the production systems and usage contexts of modern recreational boating, for reasons clearly related to environmental concerns and sustainability, it is equally undeniable that a multitude of opportunities can emerge from the recovery and valorization of traditional nautical heritage. This heritage belongs to a bygone era, long considered obsolete, but which has now, somewhat unexpectedly, regained relevance, particularly in relation to construction techniques, material disposal practices, and the preservation of territories now more than ever in need of care and attention. Before continuing further, this thesis would first and foremost like to pause and reflect on why such a rich context, full of ideas and design potential, receives so little attention. We can probably state that traditional nautical culture and the heritage connected to it are often difficult to investigate, largely because they are rooted in highly localized contexts, with all the geographical and technical limitations that entails, and also because of their relatively limited economic appeal. Among these underexplored “territories” we can certainly include all the tangible and intangible heritage linked to artisanal know-how, to the knowledge of those individuals who, whether driven by passion or necessity, became inseparably bound to a world now in decline, leaving behind a wealth of skills and testimonies that can and must be preserved and brought to light.