Theories and Methods of Rural Landscape Classification in Europe: The Italian Approach

After the European Landscape Convention initialling, many studies are being undertaken in order to analyze and safeguard the landscape. Nevertheless, the rural landscape remains a secondary issue, forgotten, despite its importance and diffusion across European countries. It contributes to soil conservation, development, sustainability, environmental balances and the conservation of local values and identity. Nowadays, encouraged by the national legislations in terms of the protection of the landscape, an attempt is being made to bring this issue to the general attention. But several problems have to be solved. The main one is defining and classifying what constitutes a rural landscape. Certainly, classification is not only the basis of the research on landscape structure and essence, but also it is the prerequisite for landscape evaluation, planning and design. However, theories and methodologies of landscape classification, especially of rural landscape, have not been paid enough attention. This article analyzes and discusses the theories and methodologies of landscape classifications in Europe in general and in Italy in particular. What do they have in common and in what ways do they diverge?