Recording rural landscapes and their cultural associations: some initial results and impressions

In 1981, an appeal was made for a systematic visual record of the main European traditional landscapes (openfield, bocage, Waldhufen, coltura promiscua, etc.) now being transformed or eliminated. More inclusive inventories of cultural associations (e.g., literary, linguistic) of these landscapes were also advocated. Together with assessments of relative vulnerability, results were to be used for a pan-European guide or Red Book, ideally of interest to planners, educators and the general public. The lack of such a guide has long been a major gap in the otherwise massive historico-geographical literature on landscapes. The 1981 proposal was not acted upon, although since then there have been many initiatives that meet some of the needs identified. A pan-European visual-cultural guide is, however, still lacking, especially one that could serve to enlist broader lobbying support. In 2000, a project was, therefore, started to probe the logistical and conceptual aspects of such a guide (British Isles excluded; E. Europe included later). So far, some 300 panoramic and detailed photographs of representative sites have been taken. These sites or ‘type locations’ are given to solicit counter-proposals. An inventory of literary, linguistic and other associations has been started. The vanishing coltura promiscua emerges as the type with probably the highest associative value. Public awareness of traditional landscapes (highest for bocage and huertas, lowest for openfield and Waldhufen) has also been assessed informally. Some reflections on landscapes are offered, including the notion that traditional landscapes should perhaps be valued as much as symbols of toil and survival as for their aesthetic appeal and historical or ecological value.