Per una nuova centralità del margine

The contribution provides a geographical interpretation of Monza’s landscape based on the concept of territorialisation and on the integration of diachronic and synchronic approaches. After discussing contemporary processes of deterritorialisation and the resulting loss of place-based knowledge, it reconstructs the historical formation of Monza’s territory and identifies the main components of its traditional landscape: the historic centre, the natural and artificial water systems, the agricultural plain of Cascinazza, the dry plateau of the urban fringe, and the Royal Villa and Park complex. Particular attention is paid to the material landscape, surviving rural features, and structures associated with the Lambro River and the Villoresi Canal. In response to the fragmentation caused by dispersed urbanisation, the contribution argues for a renewed centrality of marginal spaces and “minimum landscapes”: small-scale features endowed with historical, identity-related, and ecological value. Their connection with protected areas, open spaces, and the hydrographic network can form a high-quality local landscape and environmental network on which future urban regeneration strategies can be based.