2008 Annual Report - World Monuments Fund

italy
Tuff Towns
The hill towns of Italy’s Lazio, Tuscany, and Umbria
regions date from the 6th and 5th centuries b.c. when
the Etruscans established settlements on many of the
soft volcanic rock (tufa) outcroppings of the area’s natural
landscape. The Etruscans carved extensive networks of
underground passages and chambers that were used as cellars by the
towns’ later occupants.
The towns thrived from the 12th to 17th centuries, and much of the
surviving architecture dates from then. Since the middle of the 20th
century, the towns have seen steep declines in year-round populations,
but they remain popular tourist and weekend-home destinations.
Unfortunately, the soft rock is particularly vulnerable to erosion, and,
with tunnels carved into it, the danger of collapse is ever-present.
In May 2008, the World Monuments Fund, in collaboration with
the Northwest Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in Italy
(NIAUSI), convened a symposium called “Conservation Conservation and Sustainable
Development of the Tuff Towns.” Case studies of the towns of Civita di
Bagnoregio, Pitigliano, and Orvieto were used to explore the problems
facing tuff towns throughout the region.
Participants included engineers, architects, municipal authorities, and
representatives of successful stabilization efforts, as well as experts in
regional planning, cultural tourism, and sustainable economic development.
The four days generated wide discussions on the necessity of stabilization and
conservation measures, the threat of abandonment by the native residents, the rise
of tourism, and the possibility of generating new and sustainable opportunities for
the local communities. The symposium received a great deal of publicity within Italy
as well as political support in the three regions where the tuff towns are located. All
abstracts, presentations, and a select bibliography are being published electronically
in both Italian and English.
Watch 2004 (Tuff Towns); 2006 (Civita di Bagnoregio)
SimpoSio internazionale/international SympoSium
Conservazione e Sviluppo Sostenibile delle Città del Tufo
Un percorso ideale tra Pitigliano, Civita di Bagnoregio e Orvieto
Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Tuff Towns
An exploration of Pitigliano, Civita di Bagnoregio and Orvieto
14–17 maggio/may 2008
pitigliano • Civita di Bagnoregio • orvieto
Comune di
Bagnoregio
Comune di
Pitigliano
Comune di
Orvieto
Assessorato Ambiente e
Sviluppo Sostenibile
Con la collaborazione di/In collaboration with: Professor Astra Zarina & Anthony Costa Heywood
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