Strategies for dismantled military sites and buildings of the Cold War: experiences from the UK

The present paper analyses the material legacies of the Cold War, in the current international discussion about the 20th century conflicts, such as nuclear weapon stores, communication and radar systems, military airfields, aviation and naval sites, civil defence structures, and how these are interpreted, recognised and sometimes reused. After an introduction on how different countries in the international context has started to identify and protect the Cold War heritage, the paper will present some case study of reuse and development of these sites in the UK and the possible future discussion on the Italian case. The data are supported with bibliographical sources, interviews and site visitation.