The return to the rural-mountain lands: different aspects of an on-going phenomenon

Since 1950s in Italy a slow and inexorable escape from rural to urban areas has been developed, especially from mountain territories. An escape favored by the consolidation of a loser image of rural territories in strong contrast with urban areas. In the last ten years an interesting turnaround has been verified, putting into effect a conscious movement of return to rural-mountainous areas. The protagonists of this return are people that comes from other territories and valorizes local resources in an innovative way: a new style to live rural areas (physical -demographic, cultural and social return). In this territorial dynamics, the land-resource represents one of the most important element to put in value: the agricultural activity increases ,especially in Piedmont Region, combining tradition and innovativeness. This return to the land has an ecological and territorial implications both in terms of protection and safeguard of biodiversity and maintenance of territory both in terms of renewability of the land-resource and low level of ecological impact.