Inclusive design in cultural heritage enjoiment. An experimental project in Ragusa Ibla

Ragusa Ibla, part of the historical Centre of Ragusa, was built in late baroque style after 1693 earthquake. In Ibla are settled 14 of the 18 Ragusa monuments in the Unesco World Heritage List. The urban morphology and the acclivity of the soil determine hard diseases to whom is not able to walk. From this point of view and from a recognition of existing devices finalized to overcome architectonic barriers, the researchers asked themselves about the possibilities to offer alternative instruments and measures for the use of cultural heritage to those who present different forms of difficulty connected, for example, to visual and auditory problems. The use of the design methodologies that refer to the Design for All and the Inclusive Design has appeared the most appropriate reference to address the issue and to propose strategies and solutions both on time and as a system to facilitate the approach to the historical heritage. The analysis of the Ibla fabric and the location of the Unesco Monuments allowed to draw preferential routes, to analyze the geometric and morphological characteristics, the existing equipment and the critical points in order to build a map of the needs of diffused usability. The proposed design solutions will be described and illustrated.