06-02-2017
Rocco Valentini and the urban redevelopment of Crecchio Castle
Crecchio, Italy,

Architect and landscape architect Rocco Valentini has restored another Italian heritage site to its former splendour. Crecchio Castle is a historic construction that had lost much of its charm due to repeated urban changes over the years, and required some work to make it into an attraction for visitors again.

To obtain this result the architect restored the unity of the urban fabric with use of sandstone much like the rock it is made of, evened out the level of the streets around the castle and made the area into a pedestrian zone. He also uncovered the 18th and 19th century pavements and restored the social function of the gateway to the town. Throughout the village he created pathways with views of the castle, so that it can now be seen from all sides. And to top it all off, he added street furnishings such as benches and streetlights, made of corten and designed specifically for this project.
Francesco Cibati
Location: Crecchio, Abruzzo, Italy
Design: Rocco Valentini Architecture
Project team: Rocco Valentini, Chiara Valentini, Pierluigi Di Nola, Milena Vizzarri
Assistants: Alessandra D’Alessio, Andrera Miccoli
Structural engineer: Giuliano Peverati
Client: City of Crecchio
Project area: 3,000 sqm
Year: 2016
Photos: Rocco Valentini
http://www.roccovalentini.it/