With 25,000 euros and 1,000 hours of work, Maurizio Cesprini and his partner Paola Gardin rebuilt a ruined home in the medieval village of Ghesc, Italy. They hope other young families will consider their example with a plentiful supply of medieval ghost towns. They also feel drawn to save the rich architectural heritage of artisanal stonework dotting villages throughout the Alps and beyond.

Called “The Village Laboratory,” Ghesc is part-owned by the Canova Association and hosts workshops so college students worldwide can come learn historical stone construction techniques. The public half of the village includes a communal kitchen, pizza oven, and concert spaces.

For over fifteen years, the Canova Association, in collaboration with Italian and foreign universities, has organized field schools and hands-on workshops dedicated to architectural restoration. Theoretical aspects of design are integrated with practical work on building sites, thus providing participants with the direct experience of "making architecture". Important in terms of both intercultural exchange and local awareness, the educational sites offer an opportunity for rediscovery and the revival of often forgotten and abandoned places.

Right now, Ghesc (in local dialect; “Ghesio” in Italian) in the commune of Montecrestese near the Swiss border has just 3 inhabitants (Maurizio, Paola, and their son Emil), but the four homes that comprise the private side of town are at various stages of being rebuilt.