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Vernacular buildings are a relevant part of the building stock affected by the Emilia, 2012, earthquakes and they contribute to shape the rural landscape of the Po valley. Unfortunately, due to overall layout, constructive details and poor maintenance, they have shown a very poor seismic performance. Because most of these buildings are lightly used or abandoned, the risk that they will be demolished is rather high; this could be the most long-lasting outcome of the seismic sequence, deeply affecting the traditional landscape of this portion of the Po valley. In this paper a brief description of the architectural features of these buildings is given and their typical seismic performances are analysed. Because damage is usually related to local-collapse mechanisms, rocking spectra are computed for the near field accelerograms and they are compared with observed behaviours. Finally, suggestions are given to improve the earthquake response of these structures, with the aim of preserving important testimonies of the civilisation of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]