Patrimonio rural en contextos urbanos: Revalorización de la Casa Quinta Serrano Lofruscio y su red territorial

Abstract

The concept of heritage has evolved notably over time. Today, both international charters and conventions, as well as national reflections, encompass not only grand urban monuments but also elements of everyday life, such as rural architecture. This form of heritage acquires particular importance in Latin America, given the agrarian nature of its history and the strong economic, social, and cultural interdependence between cities and the countryside. As Waisman states, heritage should be understood as a living testimony of the history and identity of rural and surrounding communities, beyond its purely architectural or exhibition value. This research, centered on the case of the Casa-Quinta Serrano Lofruscio, currently integrated into the urban fabric of Cuenca, seeks to recover a type of heritage often excluded from official narratives and to position it as an integral part of peri-urban heritage by considering its relationship with a broader notion of territory. Such heritage must be recognized and preserved not only for its built components but also for the memory of the productive landscape to which it once belonged, both in continuous interdependence until the cessation of its agricultural and storage functions. The study provides insights into understanding this relationship, as well as the presence and role of the communities that have sustained it. In this way, it considers the social, historical, and cultural dynamics that shape and define it.