Antiche città moderne tra continuità e discontinuità

The long life of cities in Italian, Mediterranean, European and Eurasian contexts presents obviously the problem of the coexistence of very different towns, creating the need to choose which one of them should be ‘valorized’ and why. Every case can offer different issues and practical suggestions, especially when studied in parallel and within their cultural landscape and demo-ethno-anthropological background. The idea at the base of this proposal is the possibility to present numerous cases and different needs throughout the Euro-Mediterranean and Eurasian context in order to use practical examples to compare needs, problems, solutions and ideas in a transnational perspective. Therefore examples from many different countries are welcomed, in order to have an approach as widest as possible in a diachronic perspective. Most of the modern cities and villages in Italy and in the Mediterranean contexts are attested on earlier pre-roman and roman towns, which then generally became medieval settlements, changing the physiognomy of the settlements. The coexistence between ancient quarters and monuments and modern urban developments have created very different results, sometimes with areas in strong contrast, sometimes in a smooth continuity. Obviously there is not a single best formula and the local geomorphology and landscape have certainly strongly influenced choices and adaptation, as also the local building traditions, as well the new architectural movements, may have been of some inspiration. The intent is therefore to open the session to very different cases and examples, in order to see the multiform varieties and the polyhedric results of a continuity which have created a cultural stratification in ancient towns which are now modern cities with a special personality. We hope that colleagues, both architects, as well as archaeologists and specialists interested on this topic, will offer a large number of cases illustrating different contexts throughout the Mediterranean and Europe and beyond. It will represent also a moment to discuss together the cases, but also the issues created in case of projects of valorization and enhancement of earlier phases within modern town. The possibility to present cases, issues and solutions with different approaches is also important to investigate this topic from an interdisciplinary approach and a transdisciplinary point of view.