Adaptive Reuse: generative matrices of environmental benefits guide the regeneration process for a comparative analysis of S. Maria in Grotta and S. Michele in Gualana

Environmental changes frequently redefine the characteristics of a monument, transforming it into an unconscious “record” and an involuntary witness to the “adaptive” processes that shape its identity over time. This paper compares two case studies that exemplify an adaptive process of conservation and rediscovery of historical heritage. The first case, with a centripetal dynamic, explores the relationship between anthropogenic interventions in the environment and their effects on built heritage, specifically the rock-hewn church of S. Maria in Grotta. The second one, with a centrifugal dynamic, addresses the redefinition of the environment by introducing new architecture, focusing on the uncovering of the rock-hewn cave of S. Michele in Gualana, which had fallen into oblivion due to the abandonment of the surrounding territory.