4.2. The proposed model of diffused hospitality

4.2

The proposed model of diffused hospitality

The concept of diffused hospitality proposed is the result of the evolution of the traditional and consolidated definition.

In this case the diffused hospitality doesn’t describe only an organizational and management model applied to a specific

context: settlements, a portion of buildings, a town, a touristic structure, but it is a most complex tool which is related to the entire territory of the Livo Valley.

The aim is to create a network of diffused hospitality whose nodes are represented by the different settlements and areas located at different altitudes. It’s a network that is spread from the lake to the upper mountains: its general goal is to propose a touristic supply related to the use of the higher lands but at the same time to consolidate, always following a principle of sustainability, the touristic supply in the lake area. For this reason the proposed model can be defined as extremely diversified. Starting

from the valley floor, the diffused hospitality

is declined on the lake side, involving a huge and empty area of transformation (AT, Ambito di Trasformazione, PGT). This is located directly in front of the lake shore and separated by the presence of the water stream. The goal is the realization of a camping area (glamping), to define a touristic supply that

will run into an existing touristic and camping system involving all the lake shore, from Dongo to Domaso municipalities. Since the area of Gravedona appears less developed under the touristic perspective if compared to the other two ones, a break in the continuity and the linearity of the system of lake public and touristic spaces has emerged. Therefore the aim of the project is to consolidate the touristic vocation of the municipality taking advantage from the areas of transformation defined by the PGT and at

the same time to enhance the continuity of the existing touristic system developed along the lake side without compromise the landscape and the environmental value of these areas.

Going up in the valley, the model of diffused hospitality intercepts the settlement of Argesio. It’s located close to a large system of terraces and coltivabile fields, exposed towards South

Figure 1

Source: personal elaboration

and characterized by panoramic views, with an high landscape value. The settlement of Argesio, nowadays totally abandoned, but easily accessible and well preserved into its physical and morphological features, becomes an opportunity to propose an “Agriturismo diffuso”. The aim is to regenerate the settlement (composed by 23 units) to activate a production chain related to the system of terraces and agricultural areas and at the same time designing spaces for the diffused hospitality directly related to the agricultural production.

Moving towards the internal part of the valley, one of the central area for the development of the model of diffused hospitality is the “mezza costa” settlement of Livo. This is composed by 170 inhabitants and 40% of the population is over 65 years old. The proposal of “Borgo diffuso” takes place from the high availability of abandoned or underused buildings: these could be reconsidered thanks to their strong cultural and historical identity and the permanence of local traditional architectural elements. In this case the aim is to propose a touristic supply totally integrated into the settlement of Livo and with its inhabitants, providing both a touristic development and a strengthen of local services and activities. In this scenario the interventions on the settlement system is a key element: the priority actions are related to the regeneration of underused and abandoned buildings that have preserved their original features, readapting their uses and functions, both to host rooms for tourists and to create services and collective spaces. At the same time it’s also fundamental the regeneration of the public open spaces, which represent the connective tissue of the whole settlement, with the aim to create spaces of aggregation for tourists and inhabitants, around which the collective and public uses are distributed.

The fourth node of the network of diffused hospitality is the “monte” of Baggio, located at 900 meters of altitude and surrounded by chestnut groves, fields and pastures.

Baggio appears to be a place of summer vacation homes (“seconde case”), strongly lived during the spring and summer period and characterized by the presence of vacant or underused units. The goal is to intervene with punctually interventions to guarantee rooms for tourists through the regeneration of several buildings located next to the main vacation houses, which have maintained their historical and architectural character. For what concerns the services related to the

diffused hospitality, the aim of the project is to make them available from the tourists by the local population through the creation of sharing spaces, managed by the local owners. This alternative model requires a strong involvement of the local population that aims to recall the typical hospitality and living values of the mountain population.

The last area involved in the project of diffused hospitality is located to the higher altitudes, into the system of alpine pastures and huts. It’s an area of strong attraction from the hiking point of view due to its location close to the crests and located into a system of crossborder paths with strong natural value. In this reality, the goal is to recover the Alpe Inghirina which is centrally located in a system of existing “alpeggi” and shelters. The main goal is to integrate the proposed model of diffused hospitality with the ancient productive function of milk and cheese production associated to the use of alpine pastures, that have been abandoned over the time. In this case the tool of touristic development will be integrated in the whole valorization of the “alpeggio” structure as in the past, reactivating an important historical economic source for the local population.

The 5 nodes of the diffused hospitality represent 5 different alternatives characterized by a diversified touristic supply.

But above all the models of diffused hospitality structures and defines an integrated network. Integrated firstly because it’s able to shape itself according to the specific features of the place but also because it works in synergy with the resources of the territory. These resources, thanks to their valorization and re-activation, define a completion of the touristic supply.

These offer not only news elements related to the use of the territory, but also give the possibility to manage and organize activities related to the local identity and traditions, involving the tourist as active part of the community. The integration between the valorization of the resources of the territory and the diffused hospitality is translated at the spatial level into the definition of the five landscapes of the Valley of Livo.

Legend

Existing elements

Mixed woods Fields, pastures Streets Landscape paths Historical paths MTB routes

LANDSCAPE OF WATERFRONTS

Spaces of interventions

Transformation areas, underused green areas Buildings historical paths, cycle paths, MTB routes

Existing elements

Campings Beaches Green areas Agricultural fields

LANDSCAPE OF TERRACES

Spaces of interventions

Terraces, underused fields, aggregation spaces

Buildings Paths between historical settlements and terraces Panoramic terraces

Existing elements

Fields Wineyards, olive groves Buildings

LANDSCAPE OF ANCIENT PLANTATIONS

Spaces of interventions

Fields, historical public spaces and paths Buildings Paths between fields, woods and woods

Panoramic points on fields and orchards

Existing elements

Agricultural fields with seminatives

Fields Buildings

LANDSCAPE OF WOODS

Spaces of interventions

Chestnut grove, historical settlements (“monti”) Buildings Paths between chestnut grove and pastures Panoramic points on the valleys

Existing elements

Chestnut grove Pastures/fields

LANDSCAPE OF ALPINE PASTURES

Spaces of interventions

Alpine pastures (alpeggi) Buildings Paths between pastures and crests Panoramic points on crests and valleys

Existing elements

Pastures/fields