Today more than ever, talking about cultural heritage implies a broad and deep understanding of the heritage of a territory. It is not only about artistic or architectural masterpieces, but also about folk traditions, work tools, everyday objects and the environment that shaped them. In this context, even agricultural landscapes, such as those of the Sienese hills, the Langhe or the Cinque Terre, become important witnesses of a civilisation to be understood and preserved.

The images collected by the SDF Historical Archive from the 2011 exhibition tell just that story: the work of mankind in shaping the land, with a constant commitment from generation to generation.

From fields cultivated for daily subsistence to land that has generated trade and wealth, every landscape is a heritage to be protected, not only for its aesthetic value, but also for the meaning it carries.

Flying over Italy or crossing the peninsula by train or car, the perception is immediate: the agrarian landscape is a geometric pattern of fields, rows of vines, terraces, canals and settlements. The richness of our territory is expressed in its many different types of agricultural landscape, from reclaimed plains to Mediterranean gardens, and from terraces to Alpine valleys. Every corner tells the story of a country that, through ingenuity and hard work, has transformed nature to generate beauty and prosperity.

As Carlo Cattaneo wrote in 1845: “Nine tenths of this land is not the work of nature, it is the work of our hands…”. A concept that today, so many years later, remains as relevant as ever. Human ingenuity has led to innovations that have transformed agricultural work and the landscape itself, especially after the post-war transformations.

In this reflection, we celebrate the link between man and the land, a heritage that demands commitment to be preserved and passed on to future generations.