FRUITION AND REUSE FOR THE REHABILITATION OF DISMISSED HISTORICAL AREAS: A FUTURE FOR THE ABANDONED MONASTERIES IN SALERNO

The cause of the abandonment and decay of some historical urban contexts often has to be searched in the particular orography and low accessibility of sites that therefore go to be isolated and excluded from the active life of contemporary cities. A study conducted on the historical aspects and accessibility of the Northeastern ancient heart of Salerno, in Southern Italy, was aimed to propose a correct rehabilitation of the site in the respect of the preservation of its authenticities. The area is characterized by the presence of a number of monasteries, which were founded in the Middle Ages and transformed during the centuries; they changed their functions several times, but they are currently abandoned because of their limited connection with the rest of the city. The advanced state of physical and social decay of the whole site currently necessitates a prompt enhancement of which a new proposal is here presented: an integrated restoration of the monasteries should highlight their historical and artistic values and at the same time identify a new function for them compatibly with their peculiar characteristics; the elimination of the architectural barriers is an important goal to achieve for the usability of the outdoor and indoor spaces; the connection among the buildings and between the site and the rest of the old town has to be guaranteed.