The reuse and valorisation of rural building heritage

In the paper we introduce the aim of the EU Villas project (Interreg IIIB Cadses 2000-2006). It consists of the improvement and revitalisation of the aesthetic and economic aspects of architectural heritage by creating an evaluation model and defining a compatible strategic tool for re-using, according to the planning criteria and sustainable policies of the CADSES area. The European countries involved in this research project are developing common strategies to preserve and exploit their environmental and building heritage and to implement cultural-tourism activities. Specific tools are studied to asses and valorise the aesthetic and economic attitude of the architectural heritage, taking into account each Country peculiarities (specific problems, users, regulations, ...). In particular, our research group at the University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture, is studying Emilia Romagna rural buildings that are not sufficiently valorised. The preservation of this heritage can be achieved through economic re–uses and the definition of integrated strategies from land planning to sustainable refurbishment techniques and these strategies are presented in the paper.