Searching historic landscape for its values

This paper intends to search for historic landscape's "new values" in order to contribute to its preservation. At first it briefly describes how landscape perception among population and legislation moves from the simple concept of "scenic beauty" to a much wider one, taking into account cultural, ecological and social aspects. On one hand historic landscape, as manmade rural landscape, is becoming less and less due to urban areas development, abandonment of agricultural production and modern techniques for agriculture systems. On the other hand historic landscape value is increasing because of its diminishing in terms of quantity. Therefore the preservation of rural areas supported by various planning instruments and laws is the response given by modern society to this transformation and loss of historic landscape. More the values are and easier the landscape preservation becomes; therefore proving that historic landscape has some "hidden values" would give it more chances for its protection. Once defined what historic rural landscape is through a case study and historic records, the research points out the relationship between historic landscape and biodiversity. The study area is located in a rural district of north eastern Italy (Asolo district in the Veneto region); the archival documents employed for this research are two historic cadasters: the Austrian cadaster from 1841 and the "Dissegno Estimo pubblico" from 1713. In conclusion the paper intends to demonstrate the importance of a multidisciplinary study in order to achieve a deeper understanding of all the subjects behind the landscape preservation. Proving the strong relation between historic landscape and biodiversity gives one more chance in the move of landscape preservation.