thesis

Les paysages de terrasses agricoles dans le bassin méditerranéen septentrional : étude comparée des Alpes-Maritimes et de la Ligurie

Defense date:

Jan. 1, 1999

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Institution:

Limoges

Disciplines:

Geography

Authors:

Directors:

Abstract EN:

In the south-east of france and in some regions of italy, the terrace cultivation represents the traditional support of an old valorization of steeply sloping hillsides. Terraces are the conjunction of several components met in an agricultral society in the past very widely autarkic (high demographic pressures, self-sufficiency policy and harsh topography). And as they proved to be very efficient, some of them still used. Their solidity and resistance to erosive agents demostrate the high quality of the structures and the permanent care caried through the centuries. However, how terrace cultivation is still viable in modern economy and in case of positive answer, in which conditions ? which solutions can be considered in order not to remove terraces from the landscape ? all these questions prove that the agricultural terrace civilisation is, still nowadays, a fascinating object of studies. Through a comparative analysis of the different ways of exploiting steep slopes, we have identified the different potentials brought by slope farming systems in the alpes-maritimes and liguria. Then, we have tried to identify the conditions in which the proposed solutions would be applicable. A voluntary approach of the protection and the development of these terraces is essential to their survival. This move leads to find out criteria which could justify a new perception of agricultural benchterraces : not only as an agricultural farming system but as a centuries-old remarkable architectural landscape patrimony which is worth being protected and preserved. Many efforts are being made in order to preserve this patrimony in which the whole knowledge of builders and the current economic necessities come close. Terraces can then become grounds whose advantages have to be exploited in new way and consequently, can become ideal supports to develop new activities such as tourism and culture, that could be integrated in the rural life and environment. The safeguard of the built slop soils is inherent to the success of the economical project.

Abstract FR:

Dans le sud-est de la france et dans certaines regions d'italie, les terrasses de culture forment les supports traditionnels d'une mise en valeur ancienne des versants en pentes fortes. Conjonction d'elements multiples rencontres dans une societe agricole autrefois largement autarcique (fortes pressions demographiques, economie d'autosubsistance, topographie difficile) ces amenagements, d'excellente facture, sont pour certains encore utilises. Leur solidite et leur resistance aux agents erosifs temoignent de la qualite des constructions et de la permanence des soins apportes au cours des siecles. Mais dans une economie moderne l'agriculture en terrasse est-elle encore viable et si oui dans quelles conditions ? quelles solutions peuvent etre envisagees pour assurer la permanence de ces paysages ? toutes ces questions montrent a quel point la civilisation agricole des terrasses constitue un sujet d'etude fort passionnant et toujours d'actualite. Au travers d'une analyse comparative des multiples formes de mise en valeur des terroirs a forte declivite, nous avons identifie les differentes potentialites offertes par les systemes d'exploitation des pentes dans le departement des alpes-maritimes et en ligurie, puis nous avons tente de definir les conditions dans lesquelles les solutions envisagees sont applicables. Une demarche volontaire de protection et de valorisation de ces espaces est indispensable a leur sauvegarde. Elle conduit a etablir des criteres justifiant une nouvelle perception des banquettes de cultures non plus comme un systeme de mise en valeur agricole mais comme un patrimoine paysager et architectural pluriseculaire singulier a proteger et a conserver. De nombreux efforts sont consentis a la preservation de ce patrimoine ou se cotoient le champ des connaissances des batisseurs et les imperatifs economiques du moment. La terrasse peut ainsi se transformer en un terrain de decouverte et devenir un support ideal pour le developpement de nouvelles activites (touristiques, culturelles) s'integrant au milieu rural. La sauvegarde de ces terroirs de pentes construits est inherente a la reussite d'un projet economique.