Historical Defensive Coastal System as Cornerstones of Cultural Heritage in Calabria (Southern Italy)

Italian cultural heritage is actually subjected to a high anthropic pressure leading to a widespread worsening in the state of conservation of historical, archeological and artistic goods especially in seaboard areas. This paper aims to link the cultural heritage still existing on the landward sides of Calabrian coastal region with the widespread presence of coastal towers and littoral castles scattered along the regional seaboard areas. Really, the seaboard landscape of the region could be an ideal pattern where the natural features of coastal zone and its cultural heritage could interact for the social and economic growth of local people. By this way, the protection of historical defensive coastal system, located along Calabrian coastline, could become part of an overall coastal landscape planning, where these valuable archeological goods could be inserted into an effective revaluation of the regional cultural heritage.