Il territorio dello sguardo. Prospettive per il restauro dei giardini e del paesaggio a sud di Leonforte nel quadro di una nuova sostenibilità urbana

Leonforte was founded in the XVII century by the enlightened prince Nicolò Placido Branciforti. The ancient district overlooks a valley characterized by the presence of several natural springs which provided water for fountains, washing and drinking-trough and mills. On the edge of the town, the prince built his own garden, as a place of delights. Nowadays this area is in a state of neglect, due to the increasing decline of the old district. Hence, the restoration of the historic gardens and the southern landscape of Leonforte has a key-value for present and future perspectives, also in relation to the updating of the Florence charters for historic gardens in the face of new challenges. The proposal of an urban park as a new green infrastructure aims to integrate the preservation of the extant historic artifacts with social fruition and cultural heritage education; above all it has the ambition to re-establish a sustainable alliance between the town and its environment which has been lost in the last decades.