A way for the italian inner area Montagna Materana: rethink the abandonment from Craco

The tiny village of Craco towers on a ravine in the middle of Basilicata. Craco is a ghost village among the towns in the Inner Area Montagna Materana. It is totally deserted, while not so far away, a new town has been built. Indeed, following on from the abandonment, some local organizations have started several ventures to boost studies about this place, as well as temporary uses of spaces. This paper presents the results of a research that starts from the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI) and investigates on the potential of design for inner districts. The hypothesis of a strategy for the Montagna Materana made up of widespread projects arises from the coexistence of different landscapes and communities. For this reason, the architectural proposal in Craco is a part of a broader incremental strategy proposed considering the uncertain future of this area, and admitting the possible abandonment: somehow, learning from Craco.