The architectures of oriental matrix are the material and tangible testimony of a culture that for centuries has invested southern Italy, and in particular the eastern regions close to Greece, which had specific geographical and orographic configurations. The traces of this incredible story are, in some cases, striking, majestic, and complex architectural masterpieces; in other cases, minute and widespread, myriads of small artefacts, lined up along the ancient paths. The theme of this research aims to connect, in an organic network, the small artefacts that belong to the oriental tradition and which are present along the Sicilian and Calabrian eastern coasts The aim of the research is not to reconstruct medieval perceptions – a methodologically problematic operation, as well as scientifically risky in the absence of sources – but rather to investigate how contemporary communities reinterpret the Italian-Greek heritage, how they have tacitly assimilated it into the surrounding landscapes, and how digital tools (photogrammetry, participatory methods and mobile applications) can mediate this relationship and contribute to its intangible cultural value.
Arena et al. (2026) studied this question.