Rediscovering old Saracen terraced gardens | The Plan
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Rediscovering old Saracen terraced gardens

Danilo Di Lorenzo Di Michele | Guido Iampieri | Luca Pirraglia

Rediscovering old Saracen terraced gardens
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The Middle Ages saw a few periods during which Arabs - or the Saracens as they were known - ruled portions of southern Italy, a historical legacy that has left a rather intriguing agricultural vestige in the small town of Tricarico, near the famed Matera. A series of terraces can be found near the old town walls, with each consisting of small plots marked by drywalls made of old sandstone blocks. Known as the “Saracen gardens”, these terraces even had an irrigation system with drainage and mechanisms to capture rainwater as it ran across the earth or filtered through the karst rock. This remarkable heritage was recognized by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and the Italian Council of Architects by the inclusion of the Tricarico gardens on the list of ten areas to be regenerated in the Periferie 2017 competition. A project by Danilo Di Lorenzo Di Michele, Guido Iampieri and Luca Pirraglia focusing on restoring these gardens to something of their former glory by creating a “sensory path” took fourth place in the competition, having also received an Honorable Mention in The Plan Award 2018. The essence of this design is to develop three different themes: terraces and areas to be used for selling and promoting typical local products; aromatic gardens and terraces with spaces to rest and relax; and the color gardens and terraces, filled with a wondrous diversity of local flowers and plants. The project requires a public-private partnership, and it will also bring additional benefits to the local area, adding various ramps and steps to physically connect the old town up the hill with the more suburban areas below.

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