Il borgo di Morano Calabro: conoscenza e valorizzazione del sistema difensivo

The study proposes a reading of the village of Morano Calabro in the province of Cosenza. The settlement, which has very ancient origins, has the traditional characteristics of small southern villages, with a pyramidal development that blends the full and empty spaces of the town with the natural contours of the land. Particular attention is paid to its extensive fortified system, consisting of the ruins of the castle and three systems of walls with their gates and towers. The comparison between the historical-critical reading of the bibliographical and archival documentation and the permanence of the urban composition has made it possible to outline the diachronic phases of the development of the village, highlighting the successive expansions and the corresponding different defensive elements. The knowledge of the ancient fortifications and buildings of undoubted historical and architectural value is part of a larger project to regenerate and revitalise the village. Critical historical analysis thus becomes a preparatory action for the definition of protective measures and the creation of cultural tourism itineraries that can increase the usability of a centre rich in specific features and elements to be preserved.