CONOSCENZA E STRATEGIE PROGETTUALI PER IL RECUPERO, RIQUALIFICAZIONE E RIUSO DEL BORGO TACCONE A IRSINA, IN BASILICATA, ITALIA

The article presents part of a broad, multidisciplinary research project focused on knowledge-based strategies for the revitalization of heritage in inner and fragile areas in Italy. It concentrates on the case study of the small historical urban center with rural character of Taccone in Irsina (MT), designed by engineer Plinio Marconi during the land reform efforts in the second half of the 20th century. Through a comprehensive understanding of architectural, urban, and environmental phenomena, the research aims to outline a replicable model of knowledge and intervention for other small urban center facing similar challenges. In Italy, 229 small historical urban centers have been identified as fragile pushed to the brink of abandonment due to hydrogeological and geomorphological instability. The objective is to propose strategies for safeguarding and reusing these sites from a landscape, geological, urban, structural, and architectural perspective, all while adhering to sustainability principles. It also envisions new usages for these areas beyond their original intended functions. Taccone does not present such severe geological instability as to require costly or invasive interventions. Marconi’s plan, only partially realized, was intended to offer farmers a new way of life connected to the land. Beginning in the 1960s, however, the rise of industrial modernity led to the gradual depopulation of such urban centers in favor of city life. Nowadays, Taccone draws the attention of photographers, researchers, and enthusiasts. Among the remaining key structures are a school, post office, the Church of San Giuseppe Lavoratore, and a train station. The mentioned urban center still retains a captivating atmosphere, filled with traces of the lives of those who never left. The proposed model includes actions supported by an original territorial information system. This tool, powered by a dynamic database, is essential for planning targeted interventions aimed at reusing the built environment effectively.