Castrum Petrae. El patrimonio herido de San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore.

The architectural heritage in most of the historic centres in Abruzzo is characterized by traditional building techniques related to the use of stone. A building style culture dating back to the classical era up to the most recent times with very few significant disruptions. San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore has a number of buildings where the use of the traditional stone building method is found in both the constructions of monuments and in the other buildings in general. Churches, palaces, suburban villas and ‘minor’ buildings are made with local material through consolidated building systems, reworked and improved during an incredibly long time-span. The castrum, originating in San Valentino, preserves traces of changes and adaptations consequent to the local and foreign dominations which have affected the historic centre and its surrounding territory. Each period has been able to conveniently reduce the use of local stones, and in particular the compact limestone of the Maiella mountain, and allowing to admire important architectural remains such as the Castle-Palace of the Farnese, the church of Regia dei Borbone, and the Palace and Villa Baiocco, which are today burdened by communal dynamics of neglect and abandonment. The limited number of consolidations and restorations arranged for after the earthquake in 2009 are emergency actions which result to be inadequate to prevent the loss of a significantly important heritage. The preliminary study of the most common and typical buildings and of their state of preservation opens a path of knowledge and awareness of the community towards a much wider framework of the safeguarding of the buildings and dynamic efficiency of protection.