Terracentric Visions and the Domestication of Aquatic Spaces: A case study of fishers’ huts in the Venetian and Caorle lagoons

Abstract

This article aims to reconstruct the origins and evolution of the different types of fishing huts, commonly called casoni, which are widespread in Italy in the lagoon areas of the Upper Adriatic. The focus is on the role played by the casoni in the domestication of these lagoon spaces and on their evolution towards patrimonialisation. The first part of the article analyses the polysemic nature of the concept of aquatic space and proposes insights into different viewpoints and perceptions: from the terracentric vision to the recognition of indigenous knowledge; from the sphere of emotion, to the legislative arena. The second part argues how, in recent years, this emblematic example of human adaptation to a potentially hazradous space is evolving towards a new phase. In a period characterised by a crisis in the fishing sector, the simple fishers’ huts are gradually being transformed into tourist facilities. Paradoxically, this element of the local cultural landscape owes its survival to the 'marketing of tradition' often carried out personally by the fishers who have transformed themselves into tourism operators.