The Adriatic hills preserve valuable agricultural landscapes. Histories, geographies and economies, have characterized the countryside and the settlements. The recent transformations of the open space redefine the relationship between the countryside and nature on the basis of abandonment processes and rewrites of the agricultural landscape; change that also concerns the living places. The contribution, in order to build its own evidence, considers areas with progressive specialization: the rooting in the region, the Adriatic hill and the subsequent specializations. Starting with the consolidated assets and the current reuse, the focus on the hills of the Province of Chieti deepens its characters in relation to innovative experiences, describing externalities and social cohesion features.
Keywords: Adriatic hills; rural areas; urbanization