Abstract ID: 3.10072 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Assuming that change is a constant in both natural and socio-cultural realms, the abandonment of a landscape is part of territorial modification’s dynamics. In other words, abandonment is not an inherent condition of a place but rather a phase in the natural evolution of landscapes and the relationships that the communities inhabiting them maintain. Through an analysis of the central Sardinian mountains in Italy—specifically, certain municipalities within the Gennargentu massif—this paper aims to explore a concrete case of “abandonment” of mountainous landscapes and the contemporary reconversion of traditional economic and cultural practices in this setting. Employing an interdisciplinary approach that combines historical research with ethnographic techniques, particularly participant observation, I examine the shifts in economic, demographic, and socio-cultural dynamics of a mountainous area in the island’s center. I identify three principal periods, each corresponding to significant changes in land use (and abandonment): from the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, characterized by a predominantly subsistence economy focused on pastoralism and small-scale agriculture; the period between the 1950s and 1970s, marked by a significant migratory wave towards urban areas, leading to demographic decline, profound transformations in the economic fabric, and notably, land abandonment; and the period from the 1980s to the present, during which local populations have been committed to the revalorization of cultural heritage and local productions, also encouraged by regional development policies. Through the case studied, this paper seeks to contribute to understanding territorial changes in mountainous areas, demonstrating how processes of herigitization serve as a global strategy for sustainable development and the transformation of abandoned landscapes into development opportunities.