Il paesaggio culturale dei centri storici marginali: il caso delle "Masse" nel territorio di Messina

The first offshoots of the Peloritani mountains were over the centuries used both for exposure and for significant visi-bility, thus constituting an ideal defensive resource. The sources from which it is possible to trace the foundation are constituted by the material remains, such as the pres-ence of numerous caves, evidence of the living continuity. Here today there are villages and manifestations of produc-tive activity that continue to give meaning to a territory significantly modified in its traditional vocations. Through a careful analysis it is possible to find interesting traces of the first settlements, thus identifying the genesis of the masses, the four medieval villages in the process of depopulation. The aim of this contribution is to study preserved emergencies using modern technologies for documentation and monitoring such as laser scanners, drones, and GIS platforms.