Tools for the enhancement of enclosed spaces of rural heritage in the mediterranean city

The proposed study is part of the enhancement process and development of the cultural heritage of the historic and rural architecture in Mediterranean cities where the relationships between the urban and rural environment and the enclosed spaces of the farms are placed in close interaction where the open outdoor space is transformed into an open delimited area of productive activity and a place of relationships between farmers, workers, guests, laborers and animals. This relationship has completely changed today; the radical transformations of the farm, the delocalisation and tertiarisation of the production and the specialization of the crops have left large voids in the spaces that in the past contained the entire production cycle within the farm. This loss of functions has created the premise to give new life to these spaces that we could call “rural archeology”, guardians of cultures that shaped the relationship of man with the places and the true image of the territory; a new interest today brings not only the rediscovery of these goods but the introduction of new functions that transform the courtyard into a receptive place, open to the territory, a new value if compared to the historically consolidated courtyard’s use. These strong transformations are considerably changing the pattern of fruition of rural architectural goods and the context in which they are inserted, thus greatly influencing the possibilities of enhancing the good itself.