EN: Experimental development models for inner areas: architecture of new tourist itineraries for enhancing the Landscape of the Montagna Materana IT: Modelli sperimentali di sviluppo per le aree interne: architettura di nuovi itinerari turistici per una valorizzazione del Paesaggio della Montagna Materana

Italy attracts millions of tourists each year, drawn to its beautiful historical cities. However, the richness of Italian culture is not limited to major urban centers; it also thrives in small historic settlements. Many of these places, however, suffer from isolation due to geographical and morphological constraints, natural events, and human-induced transformations. These conditions of fragility call for new research approaches capable of revealing the identity of territories shaped by historical stratifications and enriched with resources and memory. Such territories are known in Italy as “inner areas” (aree interne). The case study of this thesis focuses on one of these areas: the eight municipalities of Montagna Materana, with particular attention to Stigliano, a mountainous territory in the Basilicata region. This landscape is vast and dispersed, where the historical relationship between humans and nature has been disrupted. Ongoing depopulation has left the territory silent, stripped of meaning and expression. With these circumstances in mind, the research aims to promote regeneration by proposing new strategies for territorial development that arise precisely from this condition of abandonment. The project involves landscape design, thematic itineraries, and architectural interventions to repurpose abandoned buildings, with the goal of fostering new opportunities for cultural, touristic, and economic enhancement. Ultimately, it seeks to reuse existing heritage, restore old buildings functionally, elevate symbolic places, narrate the landscape, and redefine communal spaces. In line with these objectives, the first chapter defines three key concepts: landscape, inner areas, and cultural tourism. The second chapter examines the infrastructure and landscape assets of Basilicata, emphasizing the importance of understanding territorial history as a fundamental step toward re-establishing a meaningful connection between people and place. The third chapter explores the resources of Montagna Materana by categorizing its various layers of cultural and natural wealth. Based on these stratified layers, a series of itineraries culturali was developed to narrate and connect the most meaningful elements of the territory. The authentic character of the area emerges through its natural landscapes, agricultural fields, geological formations, traditional rural architectures (massarie), and historic urban centers. This chapter also presents a territorial mapping system: a digital platform designed to illustrate each municipality’s resources through a wide range of indicators. In addition to the digital platform, a dedicated mobile application was also developed to make these contents more accessible and interactive for users. This system helps identify and understand cultural networks and potential connections between local communities, landscapes, services, and cultural assets—both internally and in relation to broader national and international contexts. Finally, the fourth chapter proposes new development strategies for the area, focusing on cycle tourism and soft mobility as opportunities for enhancing the spatial quality of small municipalities. The territorial landscape project includes an “abacus of possibilities” and three architectural and cultural interventions that engage directly with local heritage. These pilot projects, centered on selected buildings in Stigliano, provide a scalable model for application across the other municipalities of Montagna Materana.