OVERVIEW

Architectural Conservation is a discipline that uses historical, methodological, technical and design knowledge. The architectural studies program includes a first historical-theoretical course in the three-year period, and two technical-design courses in the first and second year of the master's degree. The objective is to build a conscious vision of the restoration project as an action of transformation of the city and the landscape, to be conducted, pursuing, in addition to the objectives of any architectural project, the specific objectives of heritage protection.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to follow an itinerary around the idea of ​​conservation that has as its final goal the reflection on the themes of responsibility, respect, identity, sustainability. Themes that are fundamental to the culture of conservation will be addressed but will be declined in a much broader sense because the proposed themes cannot be perceived as the prerogative of a narrow circle of scholars of the subject but must be declined in such a way as to be closely linked to the reflection that everyone is required to carry forward with regard to the society in which they live and that they will contribute to modify with their own project work. The purpose of the course is aimed at the critical study of some themes linked to the question "why do we conserve?".

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

AIMS

Provide the student with basic knowledge on the history of architectural restoration with references to the Middle Ages-Baroque period and insights into the 18th-20th centuries.

Encourage the student to reflect on the values ​​that have been historically attributed to the architectural heritage and on the criteria identified to intervene on it

Analyze historical and contemporary projects with the aim of highlighting the relationship between theoretical constructs and technical solutions

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowledge of the history and theory of architectural restoration, particularly between the 18th and 20th centuries

Acquisition of the historical-critical language specific to restoration, of the methodologies of reading and intervention on historic buildings, and of the legislation on the protection of architectural heritage

Acquisition of the tools for the critical reading of the restoration project through knowledge of exemplary cases both historical and contemporary

PREREQUISITES

Knowledge of the History of Modern and Contemporary Architecture is required. In particular the 18th and 19th centuries.

TEACHING METHODS

The course includes ex-cathedra lectures and possible in-depth seminars. Attendance is strongly recommended. The course will be activated on aulaweb where teaching materials will be provided such as pdfs of the lesson slides, excerpts from texts, links to sites to consult for further information.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

ARCHITECTURAL RESTORATION IN ITS HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Origins of conservation. How to move from conservation as a natural attitude to the “conscious” conservation of things as a cultural product. Interventions on pre-existing works between the Middle Ages and the Baroque. Restoration of paintings and sculptures between the Renaissance and Neoclassicism. The crucial role of the 18th century. The birth of a historical-chronological vision of the past, the importance of studying historical sources and awareness of the need to conserve them. The 19th century. The birth of the discipline. Return to the “primitive splendor” or preserve the entire chain of facts? From the selective myth of a presumed origin to be restored to the acceptance of the complex richness of the historical process. Influence of aesthetic value, necessity of historical value.

The debate in the 19th century Eugène E. Viollet-le-Duc and stylistic restoration: “rétablir un état complet”. John Ruskin and William Morris: preserving the authenticity of the architectural work: “restoration so called, is the worst manner of reconstruction”. Camillo Boito the theme of style for the new architecture and philological restoration. Late 19th century: Luca Beltrami and historical restoration, Alfredo D’Andrade and analogical restoration.

The 20th century. From the work of art to the intangible asset The debate in the first half of the 20th century: Alois Riegl, Gustavo Giovannoni. The great caesura of World War II. Reconstruction in Italy and some European cases. Critical restoration: Cesare Brandi and Renato Bonelli. The debate of the last 30 years; Giovanni Urbani; planned conservation; integral conservation: Marco Dezzi Bardeschi and Amedeo Bellini; typological restoration by Paolo Marconi; critical-conservative restoration by Giovanni Carbonara.

National and international regulations and legislation. Italian legislation between the 19th and 20th centuries. Restoration papers. International institutions: Unesco, Icomos,

THEORETICAL-METHODOLOGICAL NODES:

From the Colosseum to the Garifuna language. From the restoration of a few singular works of art to the need to protect everything that is evidence of civilization. Two and a half centuries of debate (restoration papers, Unesco).

Protection and public utility. Why do we lose parts of our heritage every day? Some sensational examples: from building speculation in Rome during the years of the economic boom to the daily “land consumption”.

The Notre Dame paradox: that is, restoration as infinite substitution. To what extent do things tolerate change while continuing to be recognized? The problem of identity between immutability and change.

Old and new, is a synthesis possible? The history of restoration seen as a relationship between instances of tradition and contemporaneity. Juxtaposition, contraposition, mimesis.

The event of restoration and the processes of care. The media hype of the “event” restoration as opposed to the long work of planning and prevention. Exemplary projects

The description-diagnosis-intervention approach. The analysis-synthesis dialectic and the problem of technique.

SEMINARS:

Restoration in Genoa between the end of the 19th century and the Second World War Alfredo D’Andrade and the attention for the medieval buildings of Genoa. The transformations in the city center between the end and the beginning of the 20th century. The Fine Arts Office of Gaetano Poggi and Orlando Grosso: the discovery of the medieval city. The damage of the Second World War and the post-war reconstruction.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

FUNDAMENTAL TEXTS

Sette M. P., Il restauro in architettura. Quadro storico, Utet, Torino, 2001 (si trova anche in Carbonara Giovanni (a cura di), Trattato di restauro architettonico, Utet, Torino, 1996, volume 1, sezione B, pp. 111-291).

Jukka Jokileto, A History of Architectural Conservation, Oxford, Butterworth Heinemann, 1999.

AA. VV., Che cos’è il restauro? Nove studiosi a confronto, Venezia, Marsilio, 2005.

Lucina Napoleone, “Principio di struttura” e “unità di stile” nel pensiero di Viollet-le-Duc, in “Palladio. Rivista di Storia dell’Architettura”, n. 46, 2010, pagg. 59-76.

Lucina Napoleone, Viollet-le-Duc attraverso gli scritti e gli studi su Carcassonne (1844-1866), in Emanuele Romeo, (a cura di), Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc: contributi per una rilettura degli scritti e delle opere (1814-2014), Edizioni WriteUp Site, Roma 2019, pp. 243-260, ISBN 978-88-85629-48-6. 

Lucina Napoleone, L’attualità di John Ruskin: architettura come espressione di sentimenti alla luce degli studi estetici e neuroscientifici, in Susanna Caccia Gherardini, Marco Pretelli (a cura di), Memories on Ruskin. Unto this last, in «RA Restauro Archeologico», special issue, 2019, vol. 1, pp. 316-321.

Lucina Napoleone, “Restoration. It means the most total destruction which a building can suffer”. John Ruskin contro il restauro, in “Confronti. Quaderni di Restauro architettonico”, n. 13-16/2018-2020, © 2022, pp. 105-114.

Texts related to the seminar part

Lucina Napoleone, La scoperta della città medievale. L'attività dell'Ufficio Belle Arti e storia del Comune di Genova (1907-1942), Genova, De Ferrari, 2015.

To “go to the source” consult the original texts of the authors:

Boito Camillo, I restauri in architettura. Dialogo primo, in Boito Camillo, Questioni pratiche di Belle Arti, Milano, 1893, sta in M. A. Crippa (a cura di), Il nuovo e l’antico in architettura, antologia, Milano, Jaca Book 1989.

Bonelli Renato, voce Restauro architettonico, in Enciclopedia Universale dell’Arte, vol. XI, col. 322 e sgg., Venezia-Roma 1963.

Brandi Cesare,Teoria del restauro, Einaudi, Torino 1977, pp. 3-47 (ed. or. Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Roma 1963)

Giovannoni Gustavo, voce Restauro, in Enciclopedia Italiana di Scienze Lettere e Arti, Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana fondato da G. Treccani, 1936, vol. XXIX, pp. 127-130.

Riegl Alois, Der moderne Denkmalkultus. Sein Wesen und seine Entstehung, WienLeipzig, 1903, (trad. it. Il culto moderno dei monumenti. Il suo carattere e i suoi inizi, in Scarrocchia S. (a c. di), Alois Riegl: teoria e prassi della conservazione dei monumenti, Bologna, Accademia Albertina, Clueb, 1995, pp. 173- 206).

Ruskin John, The nature of gothic, (VII° cap. di: The stones of Venice, London 1851- 52) - Il testo è consultabile, in versione italiana nel volume: John Ruskin, Le pietre di Venezia, Rizzoli, Milano 1989; oppure nel volume: John Ruslin, La natura del gotico, Jaca Book, Milano 1992

Ruskin John, The seven lamps of architecture, London 1849  - Consultabile nella versione italiana pubblicata da Jaca Book o da Rizzoli (nella collana B.U.R.), è inoltre possibile ritrovare molti aforimi del testo nel volume: R. Di Stefano (a cura di), John Ruskin profeta dell’architettura moderna, ESI, Napoli 1982.

Viollet Le Duc E.E., voce “Restauration” e voce “Style” in: Dictionnaire raisonné de l’architecture française du XI au XVI siècle, Paris 1854-1868 - Le voci possono essere consultate, in versione italiana, nel volume: Crippa M. A. (a cura di), Viollet Le Duc: Architettura ragionata. Estratti dal dizionario, Jaca Book, Milano 1981 

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes will be held in the first semester according to the calendar published on the department website

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of an oral interview.

Erasmus students can prepare a topic to present in place of one of the teacher's questions.

Students with DSA certification can use diagrams and concept maps previously agreed with the teacher

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam will assess the knowledge of the topics listed in the program and the ability to correlate them.

The evaluation will be based on the following criteria: quality of presentation, correct use of specialized vocabulary, critical reasoning ability.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with DSA certification will be able to use diagrams and concept maps previously agreed with the teacher