The valorisation and characterisation of the agrarian terraced landscape. A case study in the Costa Viola area (Italy)

A regional study of the dynamics of change characterising the agrarian terraced landscape of Costa Viola (Southern Calabria, Italy) is presented. The main current landscape transformation trends were analyzed through multitemporal and multiscale analysis of maps, orthophotos and historic documents. The ongoing abandonment of the historic terraced vineyards in the area was related to both its causes and effects. It emerged the need to support the permanence of terraced agriculture, through: a sensitive management of the area, based on a precise and updated knowledge of the landscape system, and the use of appropriate tools, such as a dedicated GIS; the encouragement of a cooperative approach by the population; the definition of appropriate infrastructures and initiatives for landscapewine joint promotion and valorisation, such as tourism trails based on the wine-related heritage.