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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Halaesa landscape (III B.C.): the origin of the traditional polycultural Mediterranean landscape

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description

The entire Mediterranean basin is characterized by landscape patterns whose compositions result from countless, long and complex cultural and historical processes. This paper traces the historic and “agri-cultural” processes that have characterized these complex agricultural systems and landscapes in order to better define: • the concept of a traditional rural Mediterranean landscape (TML); • the concept and importance of the complex-forms of polycultural (coltura promiscua) systems and landscapes, by following the historic development of this landscape; • their most important structural characters, configuration and bio-diversity at the landscape level, because of its environmental complexity and cultural heritage. The characteristics of the Mediterranean polycultural landscape are identified beginning with a historic description of the territory of Sicily (central Mediterranean): the analysed Halaesa landscape (Greek colony founded in 403 BC) as one of the first historical detailed description of a complex TML. The analysis of these landscapes reveal a rich spatial configuration and patchiness of the land mosaic, usually made up of relatively small patches and corridors, and had a great species and interspecies diversity as a consequence of the cyclical disturbances introduced by rotational grazing, cutting and coppice regimes, fire management, as well as of cultivation and other human land use practices. The results show a polycultural agro-silvo-pastoral system and landscape which guarantees biological complexity and richness, environmental and cultural functions. Comparing these results at a wider regional scale, through the other main TML of Sicily, rise the high “bio-diverse” value of these polycultural landscapes . The presence of historical features, of traditional crops and land-uses, and the conservation of the rural architecture and other material and non-material cultural heritage, related to the agricultural activity, are particularly important aspects considered by international and European organization toward their valorisation and conservation.