The aftermath of the Emilia 2012 earthquake damages and the safeguard of the rural anthropized landscape

In seismic-prone areas with spontaneous built heritage, extensive measures are needed to protect critical tangible features and intangible values made of vernacular construction techniques. Operating strategies should be continuously improved, starting with the damage survey and moving through the provisional safety measures to the final intervention. An example of the methodology used to preserve the distinctive values of the anthropized countryside landscape in the Emilia lowland is illustrated in this paper by identifying spontaneous evidence derived from the practical knowledge of rural cultures. Through an analysis of historic construction methods, it is possible to comprehend informal architecture by exploring brick masonry constructions, as well as their variances. Although their vulnerability is attributed to the lack of materials and modest construction methods, spontaneous architecture, far from being endangered as the result of seismic sequences, contributes to the distinctive nature of the anthropized rural landscape. In addition, preserving spontaneity increases collective memory and the image of a time.