Reuse processes with ESG approach. The case study of Riggio villa in Aci Sant’Antonio, Sicily

The re-use processes are not only technical actions, but also educational, able to promote a new sensitivity: social and project activities that concern both the desires of the community and the requests of customers. They are closely linked to historical, technological and use studies and are intended to safeguard the built heritage. New ideas for reuse, respecting the identity and character of the building, produce a strong connection with the socio-cultural and economic context, in line with Objective 11 of the 2030 UN Agenda to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The 2030 Agenda of the United Nations suggests the application of the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) approach to ensure the sustainability and social responsibility of the organization and to avoid negative impacts on reputation and profitability. The research identifies project guidelines through analyses based on the relationship between the preservation of the identity of material culture, the past and the cultural and social roles that the building heritage can assume. The study is applied to a case, Riggio Villa in Aci Sant'Antonio, a small village on the slopes of Etna, in the province of Catania. This building, designed by Carlo Manosanta in 1672, has a long history, ending with abandonment for several decades. Villa Riggio’s reuse project is based on historical, technological and social analyses using the ESG approach. From this analysis comes a project adhering to the preservation of the built heritage and the needs of the territory, which gives new life to one of the most important buildings in the area.