Urban sketching for reading the spaces of the historic city. L’Aquila and its squares

In the history of the city of L’Aquila, squares have always had a pivotal role in the foundation and transformation of its design. In fact, squares in L’Aquila have always been part and parcel of the city’s image, each one with its specific identity and meaning; meeting and gathering places in which the inhabitants recognize themselves and of which they have suffered the absence during these years of reconstruction following the earthquake of 2009, still underway today, that is finally allowing the population to reclaim the spaces of the historic centre. The paper delves into the values of hand and life drawing, which still has great potential as a scientific process made up of technique, perception and critical restitution, in order to read and document the urban spaces of the city’s identity and to recognize their historical and architectural values.