The village of Carro, in the province of La Spezia, enjoys a strategic and prestigious historical location in the Vara Valley. It is located a few kilometers from the Ligurian coast, renowned for its tourism and exceptional attractions, and is surrounded by the typical vegetation of the region’s hinterland. The Alta Via of the Cinque Terre also crosses the municipality, with a network of trails connecting the coast (starting from Portovenere) to the inland. Carro boasts a collection of historic buildings, such as the Church of San Lorenzo and its square in the heart of the village, several ancient cemeteries, and “Casa Paganini.” Carro is, in fact, the home of the grandfather of the famous musician Niccolò Paganini. His recently restored house houses a mineralogical museum with a conference room and a restaurant.

Its geographical location, however, makes the village difficult to access, and its facilities hamper its activities. The town of Carro is characterized by a unique structure. Its historic center, with its square, church, and historic shops, is located on a hilltop, which gives it a unique and evocative character in some respects, but makes it difficult to access in others. Access to the square is via steep stairs or uphill streets that branch off the main road and converge at the corners of Piazza San Lorenzo.

The objective of the project is to restore Carro’s main square, enhancing its traditions, heritage, and natural surroundings through a process of urban regeneration and neighborhood development through the adaptation and construction of new buildings. Specifically, the city of Carro requires the adaptation of existing public services in Piazza San Lorenzo, as they are poorly structured and dysfunctional, and the modernization of the layout of the square itself. The planned interventions will focus on innovation and the green economy, meeting a set of environmental criteria in the choice of materials, equipment, implementation methods, and the lifespan of the selected products. The project is based on the restructuring, reuse and redesign of sites characterized by static, technological, energetic and functional obsolescence.