In Venus Birthplace, myth and historical cultural landscape

The design looks at an ancient landscape to capture at the different scales its identifying characteristics. We want to address the risks that the sought after tourism might bring with improved roads, sprawling of villages, loss of vegetation and of typical agricultural patterns. Around the upper villages afforestatian areas of local pines, oaks are established, to limit expansion, to provide shade and a favorable microclimate. Almond groves mark the separation between the villages. More afforestation areas as ecological corridors and increased riparian vegetation link the hills to the lower lands. Orange groves are expanded in lowland areas near rivers, and mark a separation between coastal villages.Isolated ruins are grouped as archaeological sites and marked by vegetation. We suggest a hierarchy of roads, to obtain better connections at the higher level, and at the lower level keep their rustic character for pedestrian, bicycle and limited traffic. Different thematic routes are emphasized: the "citrus groves route", the "archaeological and scenic route", the "agricultural landscape" route and a "pedestrian seaside route". Along these ecotourism wood cabins or daytime shelters are hidden. The dramatic morphology suggests a largescale approach to the observation of the sky. At the confluence of two creeks, near the mythological Venus birthplace, a center point establishes concentric arcs at different elevation along which stepped observation areas occupy strategic points. Three major alignments are designed: the Venus Axis, pointing to where the planet is during the summer, another one pointing to the North Star and another one towards the Milky Way.