Environmental resources, economy, regulations: a lack of Community-Based Adaptation for two Medieval monastic communities

Two case studies, referred to two medieval monastic communities, to show the lack of Community Based Adaptation (CBA) to difficult or changing environmental conditions. These, in turn, can be broadly referred as ‘energy-related’ factors, since both climate variability/change and food fall under this category. In fact, climate variability depends on solar radiation flux, while food represents the energy intake basilar for human survival. The case studies refer to the monastery of Bobbio (Piacenza, Emilia- Romagna, Italy) and Castelletto Cervo (Biella, Piedmont, Italy). The first case shows a lack of transformation of harsh regulations to the difficult environmental conditions of that time, which leaded to a revolt inside the monastery. On the other side, the decline of Castelletto Cervo Cluniac priory depended upon a bad management of economic resoruces in a time of environmental variability, which affected the agricultural yield and the life of many villages in the considered area.