Analysis of the impact of settlement patterns on landscape protection in two different European rural areas

The colonization occurred at large scale during the past centuries has contributed to shape the image currently perceived from a landscape. The settlement dynamics are especially interesting, having played an important role. Several traces of extinct settlements and their access routes are usually still visible in many today's European landscapes. Aim of this study is to evaluate the impact on rural landscape of different settlement patterns and relevant accessibility routes. Two different European rural areas, located in the Czech Republic (Silesia region, “Frýdek-Místek” area) and in Italy (Basilicata region, “Vulture” National Park) were analysed and compared. GIS-supported statistics were used to investigate the main landscape components, focusing on the reasons at the basis of their formation and successive decline due to war, epidemic or economic reasons. Main results obtained have shown that these important historical legacies are increasingly disappearing in both the study areas. While the increase of modern farming activities and general oblivion in public awareness is the main reason in the Czech villages, the settlements in Basilicata region are currently endangered by environmental risks. In both cases there is a serious loss of the cultural heritage of the rural landscape, with consequent reduction of its public recreation opportunities.