The Fourth World Congress of Terraced Landscapes took place this year in the Canary Islands (E) from 13th to 22nd of March. It was the new edition of an event organized by the International Terraced Landscapes Alliance (ITLA) since 2010, gathering researchers as well as farmers from all over the world to discuss the future of the terraced landscapes.
Information and News Here

DRYSTONE WALLING IN THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE

In November 2018 UNESCO inscribed "The art of drystone walling" in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The candidacy was promoteed by 9 countries: Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. It was a trans-national effort to recognize the importance of a traditional technique diffused throughout the world, and among others to agricultural terraces. Click here for more Info.

INTERNATIONAL TERRACED LANDSCAPES ALLIANCE

The "International Terraced Landscapes Alliance" (ITLA) is a network established in 2010, following the 1st International Congress on Terraced Landscapes held in Mengzi (China). This event gathered researchers from 16 countries to discuss common traits and problems of terraced areas (the ALPTER staff was among them), concluding with a common declaration and the aim of enlarging network activities.

The ITLA is working now to put in contact the projects existing worldwide with regard to the conservation and revitalization of terraced areas. The main activity for year 2014 was the organization of the Second International Congress on Terraced Landscapes in Peru.
The Third World Encounter of Terraced Landscapes took place in Italy from in October 6th to 15th 2016. Info about the Third World Encounter can be found here.

The ALPTER Project web site hosts a specific section about the Internazional Alliance, including the latest official news, the form to subscribe and many other interesting info. Click here to reach the ITLA site section.

ALPTER PROJECT RESULTS

After the final conference (15.02.2008), the ALPTER Project concluded its regular activities. Nonetheless, the project staff is doing its best to keep up-to-date the web site. The final publications are now available for download, later thematic studies and documents regarding terraced landscapes will be uploaded when we enter in contact with them. Check the news for the last findings.

On the site can be download the publications of the project: Atlas and Manual presenting the results of the work of the partners. A book in Slovene realized by University if Ljubljana is also available.

From the project final conference, held in Ljubljana, it is still possible downloaded the presentations held by the speakers. It is also available a conference photogallery and the original conference website

PROJECT PRESENTATION

Interreg project ALPTER was conceived to counteract the abandonment of terraced agricultural areas in the alpine region, a problem that only during the last years has risen the attention of both institutions and population, for the loss of cultural heritage and the natural hazard that it can produce.

The project, co-financed in the framework of EU programme Interreg Alpine Space, started in 2005 with the the collection of data on 8 terraced areas, that were elaborated to define procedures with regard to significant topics such as mapping, assessment of geological hazard, enhancement of agricultural production or promotion of tourism in terraced zones. Recovery works were also realized in the study areas, to produce some examples of effective recovery of terraces to present and diffuse.

The first project international workshop was held in Genoa in 2006, the second in Venice in 2007, the third and final event took place in Ljubljana in 2008. The project activities have concluded in March 2008: with the results two publications have been produced - an ‘Atlas’ of terraced landscapes of the alpine region’ and a ‘Manual’ of good practices for recovery of terraces’.