Costituzione, tutela, terremoti
Salvatore Settis
Earthquakes and other natural disasters are hardly predictable, yet their consequences on both human beings and historic buildings can significantly vary depending on how much has been done (or not) in order to avert or prevent the worst. Italy’s soil is in itself exceptionally fragile for several reasons (including seismic risk), but very little is currently done to increase its safety. On the contrary, unreasonable development projects, while demonstrably excessive in a country with very little demographic growth, contribute sealing soils and dangerously increasing their fragility, as shown whenever a landslide or an earthquake occurs. Such a devastated institutional landscape strongly contrasts with the Italian tradition of protection of cultural heritage, eloquently represented by Art. 9 of Italian Constitution as well as by an extended body of laws, often disregarded by political practices and custom. Constitutional legality, therefore, should be the first, decisive step towards a more effective protection of cultural and artistic heritage