Vernacular architecture in Campania Felix. Values and conservation problems

The paper aims to deepen the study of vernacular architecture in Campania felix. Rural dwellings, agricultural and lookout towers, rural farmhouses built on archaeological remains are the main components of a full palimpsest strewn over the agricultural land of Campania Felix. This heritage, which is in a state of disuse and abandonment, is not yet fully known and catalogued and constitutes an irreproducible repertoire of local building, material, and technical traditions of undeniable interest. The study is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach and will address the close relationship with the landscape of these settlements, continuity of use and bioclimatic characteristics and materials which make this heritage a good lesson for sustainability and ecological way to built and live. Illustrative case-studies of vernacular architecture will be chosen in order to identify the mechanisms of recur-ring structural damage and material decay.