Isole-carcere: conservare grandi palinsesti architettonici in contesti territoriali fragili

The island, by definition, is an ideal setting to convey the message of social separation and the loss of freedom. In Italy, there is a real «arcipelago della detenzione» («archipelago of detention»), that started in the 19th century and is currently experiencing significant phenomena of abandonment and decay. Attention is therefore focused on architectural complexes that, due to their size and symbolic significance, have played a central role in their context, but now risk becoming significant "presences-absences" for the surrounding territory. Through a comparative investigation of various examples identified in the island landscape of southern Italy, the research aims to recognize common criticalities in order to outline a consistent conservation approach.