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Rediscovering Rural Heritage: My 2023 Urban Survey in San Cesario sul Panaro(MO)

During the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to conduct an urban survey in the Province of Modena, specifically in the rural areas surrounding San Cesario sul Panaro. The focus of my research was on buildings in a state of degradation—structures that are slowly being lost to time, but which still stand as silent witnesses of the region’s architectural and cultural history.

This experience was deeply enriching. It allowed me to explore and interpret the landscape through an urbanistic lens, uncovering layers of development, neglect, and potential. What struck me most was the quantity, quality, and intrinsic value of these abandoned rural buildings. Far from being mere ruins, they represent an untapped resource, a hidden wealth of heritage that has, for too long, gone unrecognized and unutilized.

For me, this survey marked more than just a technical exercise—it became a turning point. It sparked a growing awareness of the possibility to reimagine and repurpose these forgotten spaces. These structures, often considered obsolete or burdensome, might instead be key to fostering a new model of sustainable development—socially, economically, and environmentally.

Out of this realization, a project idea began to take shape: the reuse of disused rural housing to meet contemporary needs—housing shortages, urban overcrowding, the erosion of our relationship with nature, and the increasing demand for slower, healthier, and more grounded lifestyles. By reclaiming and rehabilitating this existing heritage, we could create flexible living spaces—both long-term and short-term, shared or private, multifunctional and adaptive.

Moreover, this vision goes beyond architecture. It touches on community building and rural stewardship. Inspired by models such as Israeli kibbutzim, I began to envision rural settlements where housing and agricultural land are managed collectively, fostering collaboration, shared resources, and a renewed connection to the land.

The summer of 2023 thus planted the seeds of a broader ambition: to reintegrate abandoned rural heritage into the present and future fabric of our society, transforming it from a symbol of decay into a platform for regeneration.

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