Ruins and Abandoned Places. Symbolic, Functional and Material Value. Research Methods and Conservation Strategies

Ruins and abandoned sites are a palimpsest of historical layers that embody material heritage, cultural identity, and collective memory. As John Ruskin pointed out, ruins function as mnemonic devices mediating historical consciousness transmission. At the same time, Georg Simmel theorised their capacity to expose the dialectical tension between human intervention and the inexorable passage of time. In contemporary society, abandoned places emerge as aesthetic relics and reflections of social, economic, and cultural transformations. The research conducted within the MATESCA Research Cluster at Università Iuav di Venezia explores such spaces’ symbolic, functional, and material value, employing interdisciplinary methodologies that integrate historical analysis, digital tools, and conservation strategies. Through case studies—including the Guerra Gregorj Kiln, the unfinished Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Brendola, and the former Psychiatric Hospital in Rovigo— the study examines how public engagement and heritage awareness can bridge the gap between ruins and contemporary communities. The research contributes to the contemporary perspective on cultural heritage conservation studies, promoting the acknowledgement of abandoned spaces as a lens to investigate society as dynamic cultural vessels that shape contemporary socio-cultural narratives and collective memory.