Gli impianti storici per l’utilizzo delle acque nei giardini delle ville medicee di Castello e Petraia: analisi, restauro e valorizzazione dell’archeologia degli acquedotti

Abstract

The Medicean villas have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The gardens, the statues, the artificial caves, the historic landscape surrounding the villas, water resources, together with the architecture of the water, represent monumental and artistic values. This note describes the importance of archaeological and cultural heritage of the system of aqueducts of the historical villas of Petraia and Castle, at the base of the slopes of Monte Morello, on the outskirts of Florence. Some manufacts of the ancient acqueducts, their state of degradation, misuse of water supplies, are analyzed. In particular, in the general plans of development of these monumental sites, proposals for restoration and valorization of systems for the collection and distribution of water, to support reuse in the garden villas fountains, caves, suggestive games of water are analysed. The increasing of the hydrogeological resource, the setting-up of cultural itinerary of the acqueduct are important aspects of the future designs.