This article offers a geographical interpretation of spatial phenomena associated with the diffusion of multifunctional agricultural practices. It considers the case study of the Val di Non, a valley community located in the autonomous province of Trent. It commences with a review of the literature and then assesses the extent to which the Val di Non, in which apple orchard cultivation predominates in the contemporary era, present signs of ‘rurbanisation’. This is followed by a review of the principal local initiatives to support multifunctional agriculture, particularly in the area of conservation and valorisation of the traditional landscape. The final purpose of the paper is to offer food for thought on the management of complex rural landscapes like that of the Val di Non, subject to both the risks of and the potential offered by multifunctional agriculture.
Keywords: Multifunctionality; rural landscape; Val di Non