Historic and Contemporary Gardens: A Humanistic Approach to Evaluate Their Role in Enhancing Cultural, Natural and Social Heritage

Marianna Olivadese and Maria Luisa Dindo ()
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Marianna Olivadese: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin, 42, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Maria Luisa Dindo: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin, 42, 40127 Bologna, Italy

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-7

Abstract: With the achievement of a certain degree of civilization, human beings show the need to build gardens, where the concept of nature and culture perfectly coincide in an original unicum seen in eternal evolution and in which history is fully embraced. Retracing the changing events of a garden is fascinating and inviting, and at the same time, it is deeply linked to reflecting on the civil and cultural history of a place where nature and art forge a deep bond. Deeply related to events, achievements, myths, art, culture and sensitivity, not to mention the history of taste and aesthetics, gardens are the reflection of society and individuals. Each garden provides information on the ideal sense of happiness and the utopia of those who created it, as well as of the society that developed it. Within a contemporary context in which they are certainly extremely fragile and subject to deterioration, historic gardens must face different users and, in a way, identities. They are open-air works of art where history, botanical taste, plant defense and biodiversity are intertwined with the beauty of the landscape, hence representing a great contemporary challenge to be faced in a multidisciplinary way. Both historic and contemporary gardens provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including cultural ones, especially in city contexts. The knowledge, care and conservation of the former, and the correct implementation and maintenance of the latter, thus become fundamental actions that may highly involve the population and raise awareness of ecologically significant values, as modernity must support the enhancement of the “landscape system”.

Keywords: garden role; cultural; natural and social heritage; ecosystem services; urban green areas; social equity; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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