Studi per la definizione dei caratteri identitari della cultura costruttiva dei piccoli centri storici etnei

Abstract Architecture “without architects” represents the identity of historic centres, places and communities; this built heritage has been transformed for new housing needs over time. Sometimes these changes do not allow for identifying the authentic architectural connotations, compromising the real image of the historic centre. However, public administrations and citizens must necessarily become aware of the values of the historical stratifications and the formal, constructive and material aspects of these buildings, for the appropriate actions of protection, recovery and conservation of this heritage. The present research is developing a critical analysis of architectural variants and invariants in the small historic Etnean centres and their typological evolution by a logical process of “ex-post” deduction. The paper shows the first results about the identifying characteristics of the local building culture, highlighting relations between the existing buildings and the “elementary cell” of specific recurrent building types.