Extractive Landscapes Reading. Cultural Heritage, Creative Approaches and Operative Protocols. An International Research Seminar Cycle.

The marble quarrying landscape is an emerging heritage topic necessitating interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral investigation. The international research group CARVEland (Culture, Art, Research for Heritage Values in Extractive Landscapes) focuses on protecting extractive heritage from a cultural perspective through comparative analyses of three active white marble quarries in Carrara (Italy), Macael (Spain), and Évora (Portugal). Coordinated by the Università Iuav di Venezia and involving multiple research bodies and institutions, the group aims to develop new tools for heritage protection. In 2022, the first international research seminar, "Extractive Landscapes Reading: Cultural Heritage, Creative Approaches and Operative Protocols," was held in Lucca. The seminar presented the Carrara case study and explored the multifaceted cultural heritage of marble quarrying sites. Participants included academic researchers and heritage protection authorities who discussed strategies for heritage protection, dynamic management, and cultural enhancement. The second seminar, held in Évora in 2023, continued these discussions, focusing on the heritage management of marble as a cultural and social resource. Scholars, institutions, and companies collaborated on new methodologies for quarry landscape analysis, regulatory comparisons, and community engagement strategies. These seminars emphasized the need to recognize extractive quarry landscapes as cultural landscapes and develop international protection and management frameworks. The final seminar, scheduled for 2024 at the University of Seville, aims to synthesize these efforts and further explore Spanish case studies, consolidating CARVEland's international research network and heritage conservation strategies.