The urban system in the historic center of Gorizia

The urban system under study is located on the slopes of the hill of the castle of Gorizia on that portion of the city that developped during the 1300s, according to the building logic of the "gothic lot". Via Rastello is the last original testimony (even if restored after the Great War) of the medieval face of the city; in a northerly direction, it grafted into the large square of Piazza della Vittoria, once the "traunik", an extra-urban grassy space for various events (folk festivals, tournaments, city fairs) and then Piazza Grande. Toponymy also explains the transformations in use and the succession of historical events. Of particular triangular shape, the square welcomes historic buildings of artistic value and today, on the whole, has a good stylistic homogeneity, despite some recent constructions of a rationalist style.
The contextualization of the site chosen for this educational-cultural Laboratory will allow to analyze the whole area under the naturalistic and geological profile, in order to show students the adaptation of nature for anthropic and urban uses. In fact it is noted that the two sides of the cliff on which the castle rises, have had over the centuries different developments, one urbanized, the other, the one facing north, instead left to green.
It is proposed to analyze and study the geological characteristics of the hill both from a structural point of view and as regards the rocks present. The laboratory will examine the wood species, analyze how the rocky components are part of the urban design, and finally will also detect the importance of the site for the inhabitants in the past history of the city. The places described here, symbolic of the plural identity of Gorizia and of an Italianity reconquered with blood, are also worthy of interest also for the presence in them of the environments of life and intellectual elaboration of the poet-philosopher, as well as painter, Carlo Michelstaedter, authentic genius loci, whose existence has begun and has tragically ended in the family home at number 8 of Piazza della Vittoria.
Last but not least, students will be actively involved in the formulation of proposals to the municipal authority regarding the intended use of some spaces and environments that could, in their opinion, be configured as events for the city's population, Gorizia.