A methodology in choosing a new compatible function in the recovery project of disused religious buildings. Research study in Italy

The phenomenon of abandoned religious buildings is today felt in many countries of the world and particularly in Europe, where the problem has taken on such dimensions as to worry the ecclesiastical institutions, which are encouraging to work with particular caution in order to avoid improper use and to consider each case according to its historical peculiarities. The topic involves many actors (clergy, population, associations, tourists, traders, etc.) since it has several meanings: Social, because religious buildings have held together many generations; Economic, because these places fascinate foreign visitors; Environmental, because their physical presence in the urban or rural landscape revives contexts and traditions; Cultural, because sacred buildings represent the largest portfolio of European historical heritage. From 2018, the Holy See encouraged to produce recommendations especially oriented towards new functional, social and architectural choices able to preserve both the material and spiritual value of the artefacts over time.By starting from an analysis of the theme, the contribution provides a methodological approach in searching for a new compatible function, in accordance with the new programmatic guidelines and the principles of the discipline of architectural conservation and recovery, applying it to the case of the old abandoned convents in the historical centre of Salerno in Italy.