Carla Bartolomucci
Carla Bartolomucci è architetto (1994), specialista in Restauro dei Monumenti e del Paesaggio (1999), dottore di ricerca in Conservazione dei Beni Architettonici (2003). Professoressa associata di Restauro (ICAR/19) presso l'Università degli Studi dell'Aquila, è stata ricercatrice presso il Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche dal 2004 al 2018. Ha lavorato presso il CNR-ICVBC (Istituto per la Conservazione e la Valorizzazione dei Beni Culturali) di Roma fino al 2009; in seguito al terremoto del 6 aprile si è trasferita a L'Aquila presso il CNR-ITC (Istituto per le Tecnologie della Costruzione) ove è stata responsabile della linea di ricerca «Conoscenza e conservazione dell’architettura storica» nel progetto CNR: Salvaguardia, valorizzazione e resilienza di un territorio.
Dal 2005 è membro della Commissione Tecnica Nazionale “UNI - Beni Culturali” e contribuisce alla definizione delle normative italiane (UNI) ed europee in materia di conservazione (CEN-TC 346).
Dal 2016 è membro della SIRA - Società scientifica Italiana per il Restauro dell’Architettura.
Expert Consultant nell'ICOMOS-ICCROM Joint Project on Reconstruction (2019-2021).
La sua attività di ricerca è caratterizzata da diversi filoni interconnessi: lo studio storico-costruttivo dell’architettura e delle sue trasformazioni nel tempo, l’attenzione alle componenti materiche e al degrado, la documentazione per la conservazione programmata, la tutela dei centri storici e del paesaggio, le ricostruzioni post sismiche attuali e storiche.
Ha scritto tre monografie: Santa Maria di Collemaggio. Interpretazione critica e problemi di conservazione (Roma 2004); Terremoti e resilienza nell’architettura aquilana. Persistenze, trasformazioni e restauro del palazzo Carli Benedetti (Roma 2018); Giardini di pietre. Il Cimitero monumentale dell'Aquila (Textus 2021) e oltre cento pubblicazioni sui temi del restauro.
Phone: +39 0862 434117
Address: DICEAA
Via Giovanni Gronchi 18 - Zona industriale di Pile, 67100 L'Aquila
Dal 2005 è membro della Commissione Tecnica Nazionale “UNI - Beni Culturali” e contribuisce alla definizione delle normative italiane (UNI) ed europee in materia di conservazione (CEN-TC 346).
Dal 2016 è membro della SIRA - Società scientifica Italiana per il Restauro dell’Architettura.
Expert Consultant nell'ICOMOS-ICCROM Joint Project on Reconstruction (2019-2021).
La sua attività di ricerca è caratterizzata da diversi filoni interconnessi: lo studio storico-costruttivo dell’architettura e delle sue trasformazioni nel tempo, l’attenzione alle componenti materiche e al degrado, la documentazione per la conservazione programmata, la tutela dei centri storici e del paesaggio, le ricostruzioni post sismiche attuali e storiche.
Ha scritto tre monografie: Santa Maria di Collemaggio. Interpretazione critica e problemi di conservazione (Roma 2004); Terremoti e resilienza nell’architettura aquilana. Persistenze, trasformazioni e restauro del palazzo Carli Benedetti (Roma 2018); Giardini di pietre. Il Cimitero monumentale dell'Aquila (Textus 2021) e oltre cento pubblicazioni sui temi del restauro.
Phone: +39 0862 434117
Address: DICEAA
Via Giovanni Gronchi 18 - Zona industriale di Pile, 67100 L'Aquila
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Awareness of the current constructive situation is fundamental both in the design phase (to correctly understand instability and degradation), and for the conservative management over time (to identify future critical issues and planning monitoring). Therefore, for the conservation of the architecture – characterized by constructive stratifications and previous interventions that are often unknown or poorly documented – the contents of the ‘technical data sheet’ imposed by the Italian regulations (Legislative Decree 36/2023) must necessarily consider the conservation history of the asset itself, which goes far beyond the ‘possible modifications’.
Similarly, the ‘scientific final report’ cannot be limited to the technical summary of the works carried out but must represent the synthesis of the knowledge acquired (both before and during the works) and the cultural premise for the heritage management, therefore for its future conservation.
Knowledge for restoration is a ‘complex of knowledge’ that grows over time, for which specific documentation systems can produce an essential contribution, provided that they allow the archiving of necessary data that is exactly located, and they prevent digital obsolescence.
The cognitive activity that characterizes the conservation project is the fundamental moment for defining and implementing such knowledge systems, to be enriched during the works. The complexity of
the specific cases indicates that these digitals tools do not necessarily have to be rigidly standardized, as long as they guarantee the essential information for conservation by unique vocabulary, allowing
for the data sharing and their persistence over time.
misrepresented as a (impossible) return to previous situations, or
limited to decorative elements considered as accessories that can be
separated from the architectural organism; in any case, it is placed in the
background (if not completely ignored) with respect to the issues of safety
and usability.
The understanding of the values and the meanings of architecture
is therefore distorted and canceled with respect to the urgency of
"recovering" a heritage identified only in the best-known monuments,
neglecting the theoretical reflections developed following the wars
destructions and, in particular, the experiences of previous post-seismic
reconstructions that often disfigured cities and territories more than the
immediate damage itself.
Yet, if on the one hand the study of buildings in damaged contexts
presents significant critical issues, on the other hand the material
observation provides significant opportunities for the deepening
of historical-construction knowledge; this learning – essential for
understanding the actual state of damage and vulnerability, often
determined by anthropic actions – also provides the opportunity to
develop new knowledge on the heritage itself.
Teaching for architectural restoration therefore assumes a central
role both to reflect on the purposes of conservation and to contribute
significantly to the realization of the knowledge path indicated by the
Guidelines.
Starting in 1972, the topic became the subject of special academic conferences spearheaded by Piero Gazzola, the first president of ICOMOS.
Today, a fresh reading of the Proceedings and Resolutions resulting from the international meetings over a fifty-year period allows us to ‘take stock’ of the current situation and, in particular, compare the theoretical premises with the actual work that has been done.
Through these documents and the rich body of published research
that they inspired, a considerable corpus of in-depth (increasingly geographically broad) information about earthen heritage emerges to which the development of theoretical reflections on the topic and coherent conservation practices do not always correspond.
Una prima indagine sui laterizi osservati in alcuni edifici, esaminati in relazione alle tecniche costruttive e alle fasi storiche, intende fornire alcuni dati iniziali per proseguire lo studio materiale in un contesto territoriale finora poco considerato.
During emergency phases, the approaches used for the safety of damaged areas and built heritage were various; in general, still today a lot of constructions are demolished for security reasons (see the recent demolitions in Amatrice and other villages damaged by the earthquake of 2016-2017).
By comparing different situations, it seems that damages and loss of historical architecture are very often caused more by post seismic demolitions than by earthquakes. This disappearance, which affects the reconstructions methods, derives from different circumstances: from an unawareness of the place values but also from a forced opposition between will to reinstatement (exemplified from the slogan "where it was and how it was") and development expectations (understood as a total renewal). Only when a prior recognition of place values happened, reconstruction has safeguarded historical and cultural identity, without compromising the authenticity, the rebirth and development of damaged places.
The seismic history and the historical-architectural heritage that characterizes Italian cities and landscape impose multidisciplinary considerations for identifying the values to be safeguarded and the consideration of the actual vulnerability of historical heritage, sometimes subjected to prejudice against conservation.
It is therefore proposed to update the Florence Charters by extending the reflections to the ‘stones gardens’ that have arisen for purposes other than leisure ones, modulating the conservative guidelines on the basis of the meanings and specific values represented by each place.
Historical documents describe this area which has retained its agricultural character until the 20th century.
Today the buildings reveal the contrast between the extraordinary persistence and the effects of a lack of recognition. Nothing remains of the place that once characterized production and entertainment area, where the suburbs has now chaotically and unconsciously settled.
The paper proposes a change of perspective on the role of commissioning, contrasting the current ‘static’ idea with a ‘diachronic’ vision of it (which considers both the initial client and the subsequent
“owners and holders” who transmit an object to the future). This vision corresponds more to the history of buildings characterized by complex constructive events and highlights the central role of ‘transmission’ with its responsibilities.
Consequently, the reference to ethics in conservation is explicit and also the possible conflicts between public interest (e.g. the right to public use or, more generally, the “right to cultural heritage”, as referred to in the Faro Convention) and private interests (linked to contingent circumstances).
The term ‘interest’ generally leads to consider above all monetary revenues –hence the economic sustainability of conservation– neglecting the concept of “public good” (regardless of the assets
ownership) and the related issues, such as the general ‘need’ of culture and its positive effects on civil development and quality of life.
Furthermore, the conservation of architecture is conditioned by circumstances related to the current use of buildings, which are often considered only as containers of functions (or, at best, of works of
art). On the contrary, today it is still essential to underline that the historical building bears other meanings and values, so it’s important to make the current clients (and the ‘stakeholders’ in general) aware of the responsibilities that cultural heritage implies.
The actual post-seismic reconstructions highlight the priority given to private interests and the recovery of functionality, to the detriment of knowledge and understanding of the meaning of places on which one intervenes. With reference to similar experiences, the paper proposes a new figure of ‘client’ answering for the protection of public interest more than for interests linked to contingent factors, which tend to neglect the transmission of cultural inheritance.
Mountain landscape is the combination of environmental patrimony and (more or less) anthropized territory; a particular reflection must be done where the latter one presents such labile traces of anthropization (hiking trails, huts) which are, however, significant for historical and cultural reasons related to mountaineering history, to the evolution of geographic knowledge, but also to the XXth century war events that occurred on the borders between the European nations.
In the last century the practice of mountain tourism grew increasingly, taking with it a landscape distorsion due to the development of winter sports and the socio-economic change of many alpine areas, that have been subjected to a withdrawal from rural activities (with the consequent degradation of the territory and its characteristic buildings) and to a building development often uncontrolled.
The aspects we intend to reflect on are the following:
Mountain tourism begins with the history of mountaineering and it is stimulated by the interest in knowing the mountains (see also Viollet le Duc and the Mont Blanc) and the desire to conquer inaccessible places; however, it has recently become a mass phenomenon only linked to sporting challenges that ignore the environment (as the extreme case of tourism on the Everest which damages the mountain by its intensive frequentation of access roads, trails and base camps);
The maintenance of tracks and huts involves some adaptations to safety regulations that often conflict with the authenticity of historic artifacts. As an example, we may consider the various enlargements of alpine huts, which are rarely evidence of a serious awareness of architectural and environmental values (and which have recently become an opportunity for “archistars” to exhibit themselves). There is also the need to preserve important material traces, such as trenches and war shelters, historical mountain passes, ancient climbing ways, etc.);
The accessibility to high altitude areas is increasingly favoured by cableways, funiculars and railways (see the Jungfrau railway in Switzerland) and this fact often involves a frequent and inadequate visiting of the mountain environment. Furthermore, tracks are often used also by vehicles (off-road motorcycles, mountain bikes) which accelerate the consumption.
All this considered, the conservation discipline can contribute to the sustainable preservation of mountain environment with its material historical evidence, as well as to a conscious exploitation of the “Terre Alte” (High Lands) which prevents a possible transformation of natural territory in an object for consumption.
Gli approfondimenti conoscitivi derivanti dalle osservazioni sui danni sismici e nel cantiere hanno portato a nuove riflessioni e interpretazioni; il presente lavoro intende documentare quanto compiuto e offrire un contributo di conoscenza da trasmettere al futuro, insieme alla ‘restituzione’ dell’edificio alla sua funzionalità e alla fruizione pubblica.
Il progetto e il cantiere di restauro del palazzo Carli Benedetti sono stati un’occasione preziosa per sviluppare e approfondire la conoscenza su diversi filoni di ricerca, che vanno oltre lo studio del singolo edificio. L’analisi delle fasi costruttive ripercorre la storia sismica del territorio, l’indagine storica è estesa alle trasformazioni di un settore urbano (dagli insediamenti medievali fino alle alterazioni più recenti), la ricostruzione della storia conservativa si confronta con le modalità di trasmissione del palazzo nei secoli.
Inoltre, la situazione di danno dopo il sisma ha consentito di osservare numerosi dettagli costruttivi e indizi di trasformazioni; l’osservazione attenta durante le fasi di lavorazione ha portato alla scoperta di apparati decorativi nascosti, a riconoscere le tracce di configurazioni precedenti e di altri dettagli di grande interesse per lo studio dell’architettura storica.
"Terremoti e resilienza nell’architettura aquilana. Persistenze, trasformazioni e restauro del palazzo Carli Benedetti"
(Edizioni Quasar, Roma 2018)
Interventi di:
Donatella Fiorani, Sapienza Università di Roma
Simonetta Ciranna, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila
Antonio Di Stefano, SABAP-AQ
Concerto: "Gli strumenti dello studiolo e la musica segreta di palazzo Carli Benedetti"
con Goffredo Degli Esposti, Filippo Calandra, Giordano Ceccotti, Giacomo Silvestri
Introduzione di Francesco Zimei
L’Aquila, sabato 26 maggio 2018, ore 18,00
Cortile di palazzo Carli Benedetti - Via Accursio 17
While the disastrous conditions may appear similar to those of a war zone, which raises (now anachronistic and unfeasible) psychologically-motivated demands to reconstruct ‘where it was - how it was’, on the other hand the destruction caused by natural events produces emotional reactions to do with safety. For this reason, there is now a general devaluation of historic architectural features, considered (sometimes erroneously) to be inadequate and unsafe, in favour of modern construction technologies
that have not always been effective; not to mention a general mistrust of seismic improvement, which is considered less effective than seismic retrofitting.
This position has resulted in the demolition of a vast swathe of historic heritage and many historic buildings have been replaced by others of poor architectural quality that aim to imitate their predecessors and that reuse formal construction elements that are nonsensical when incorporated into new buildings.
On the contrary, conservation is far from restoration and counterfeiting; research on this subject can provide the conceptual means to deal with reconstruction not only with a technical approach but also with a more cultural one, which has to be extended from planning in historic contexts and landscapes to reconstruction work in damaged areas, which should be considered true ‘lacunae’ in a figurative urban fabric.
Furthermore, our historical-structural understanding of buildings allows us to highlight their actual resilience over time, something which should be taken into consideration when evaluating the actual vulnerability of historic buildings (a vulnerability that is often due to inadequate improvements rather than structural deficiencies) and calibrating the reinforcement work necessary for each specific case.
Actually the practice is clearly addressed by the premises that guide the interventions, if the purpose is the preservation of a “material evidence which has a value of culture” (definition of the Franceschini Commission in 1967) or the simple re-use of an historic building. Nowadays the seismic reconstruction is guided by such laws that give exclusive priority to recovering the functionality of the buildings damaged, while the cultural issue of restoration appears misunderstood and generally confined to the decorative conservation. One of the consequences of this approach is the inappropriate attention given to the historical architecture authenticity, mainly in reference with those buildings not subjected to safeguard, that can be demolished and rebuilt because of economic benefit criteria. Little consideration is also given to monumental buildings as regards the conservation of architectural surfaces, with the renewal of plasters, which seems to be inappropriate both from the historical point of view and the aesthetic one. It seems to exist an approach aimed to the preservation of form, rather than substance; this could be consequence of the enlarged protection on the “intangible aspects” of Cultural Heritage, of which a negative aspect might be deflecting attention from the concrete matter of restoration.
Papers by Carla Bartolomucci
facade of the San Bernardino Basilica not only constitute a
completely unpublished story, but offer various reasons for
reflection.
The split between structure and form, on which the intervention
of the Civil Engineering Department is based, produces an
extreme choice poorly based on the real danger. A singular
distance between the theoretical-methodological acquisitions
and the practice is evident, aimed at continuing what has
already been achieved in the past without any critical reflection.
The monumental sixteenth-century facade was almost
completely disassembled and rebuilt with an internal frame in
reinforced concrete in 1958-1962, although it was unharmed
both in 1703 (when an earthquake damaged the dome, which
was later rebuilt), and in 1915 during the earthquake that
destroyed Marsica.
In addition to the inopportune demolition, the oblivion that
characterizes the story is surprising; here it is reconstructed
on the basis of the technical reports and documents of the
construction site.
The recent seismic events have subjected the facade to a test
which has proved to be effective, but have also confirmed the
vulnerability of the dome and the bell tower, already manifested
in the past.
Today we cannot ignore the real consistency of the building
and future conservation criticalities, nor persist in the obstinate
separation between structural and restoration issues (as if this
concerned only the superficial aspect).
Se in taluni casi l’inclusione dei valori intangibili può aver prodotto una maggiore sensibilizzazione e costituito un espediente per la valorizzazione, l’invenzione del patrimonio immateriale ha ulteriormente confuso la ‘materia’ del restauro e ignorato gli aspetti concreti della conservazione.
Attraverso alcuni esempi si vuole riflettere sulle possibili strategie per la conservazione di beni architettonici e ambientali difficilmente percepiti come ‘monumentali’, il cui banale utilizzo pratico comporta tuttavia distorsioni di significato e conseguenti danni materiali.
Nei contesti danneggiati da eventi catastrofici, le attenzioni verso il patrimonio risultano spesso motivate da necessità pratiche (recupero della funzionalità) o emotive (ripristino dell’immagine); al contrario, i casi studio del cimitero dell’Aquila e del complesso dell’ex-ospedale psichiatrico presso Santa Maria di Collemaggio offrono l’opportunità di riflettere sul nesso tra la conoscenza e le modalità di conservazione di luoghi finora ignorati e trascurati. In questi casi il riconoscimento dell’interesse culturale non trova riscontro in adeguate cure conservative e in opportune modalità di fruizione, ma rischia piuttosto di amplificare gli effetti deleteri derivanti da usi e manutenzioni inadeguate o da azioni speculative rivolte a un patrimonio visto solo per la sua valenza immobiliare, quando non per la sua attrattività turistica.
storici sia sul fronte della conoscenza che sul piano della conservazione e, più in generale, su
quello del restauro dell’architettura. Accanto alla sopravvivenza e manutenzione di finiture di
singolare ‘pregio’ si rileva, in particolare nell’ambito della ricostruzione post-sismica in corso,
un’estesa perdita di tali elementi di cultura materiale, spesso sopravvissuti grazie a lunghi
periodi di abbandono.
PAROLE CHIAVE serramenti storici, Abruzzo, architettura, conservazione, restauro.
Awareness of the current constructive situation is fundamental both in the design phase (to correctly understand instability and degradation), and for the conservative management over time (to identify future critical issues and planning monitoring). Therefore, for the conservation of the architecture – characterized by constructive stratifications and previous interventions that are often unknown or poorly documented – the contents of the ‘technical data sheet’ imposed by the Italian regulations (Legislative Decree 36/2023) must necessarily consider the conservation history of the asset itself, which goes far beyond the ‘possible modifications’.
Similarly, the ‘scientific final report’ cannot be limited to the technical summary of the works carried out but must represent the synthesis of the knowledge acquired (both before and during the works) and the cultural premise for the heritage management, therefore for its future conservation.
Knowledge for restoration is a ‘complex of knowledge’ that grows over time, for which specific documentation systems can produce an essential contribution, provided that they allow the archiving of necessary data that is exactly located, and they prevent digital obsolescence.
The cognitive activity that characterizes the conservation project is the fundamental moment for defining and implementing such knowledge systems, to be enriched during the works. The complexity of
the specific cases indicates that these digitals tools do not necessarily have to be rigidly standardized, as long as they guarantee the essential information for conservation by unique vocabulary, allowing
for the data sharing and their persistence over time.
misrepresented as a (impossible) return to previous situations, or
limited to decorative elements considered as accessories that can be
separated from the architectural organism; in any case, it is placed in the
background (if not completely ignored) with respect to the issues of safety
and usability.
The understanding of the values and the meanings of architecture
is therefore distorted and canceled with respect to the urgency of
"recovering" a heritage identified only in the best-known monuments,
neglecting the theoretical reflections developed following the wars
destructions and, in particular, the experiences of previous post-seismic
reconstructions that often disfigured cities and territories more than the
immediate damage itself.
Yet, if on the one hand the study of buildings in damaged contexts
presents significant critical issues, on the other hand the material
observation provides significant opportunities for the deepening
of historical-construction knowledge; this learning – essential for
understanding the actual state of damage and vulnerability, often
determined by anthropic actions – also provides the opportunity to
develop new knowledge on the heritage itself.
Teaching for architectural restoration therefore assumes a central
role both to reflect on the purposes of conservation and to contribute
significantly to the realization of the knowledge path indicated by the
Guidelines.
Starting in 1972, the topic became the subject of special academic conferences spearheaded by Piero Gazzola, the first president of ICOMOS.
Today, a fresh reading of the Proceedings and Resolutions resulting from the international meetings over a fifty-year period allows us to ‘take stock’ of the current situation and, in particular, compare the theoretical premises with the actual work that has been done.
Through these documents and the rich body of published research
that they inspired, a considerable corpus of in-depth (increasingly geographically broad) information about earthen heritage emerges to which the development of theoretical reflections on the topic and coherent conservation practices do not always correspond.
Una prima indagine sui laterizi osservati in alcuni edifici, esaminati in relazione alle tecniche costruttive e alle fasi storiche, intende fornire alcuni dati iniziali per proseguire lo studio materiale in un contesto territoriale finora poco considerato.
During emergency phases, the approaches used for the safety of damaged areas and built heritage were various; in general, still today a lot of constructions are demolished for security reasons (see the recent demolitions in Amatrice and other villages damaged by the earthquake of 2016-2017).
By comparing different situations, it seems that damages and loss of historical architecture are very often caused more by post seismic demolitions than by earthquakes. This disappearance, which affects the reconstructions methods, derives from different circumstances: from an unawareness of the place values but also from a forced opposition between will to reinstatement (exemplified from the slogan "where it was and how it was") and development expectations (understood as a total renewal). Only when a prior recognition of place values happened, reconstruction has safeguarded historical and cultural identity, without compromising the authenticity, the rebirth and development of damaged places.
The seismic history and the historical-architectural heritage that characterizes Italian cities and landscape impose multidisciplinary considerations for identifying the values to be safeguarded and the consideration of the actual vulnerability of historical heritage, sometimes subjected to prejudice against conservation.
It is therefore proposed to update the Florence Charters by extending the reflections to the ‘stones gardens’ that have arisen for purposes other than leisure ones, modulating the conservative guidelines on the basis of the meanings and specific values represented by each place.
Historical documents describe this area which has retained its agricultural character until the 20th century.
Today the buildings reveal the contrast between the extraordinary persistence and the effects of a lack of recognition. Nothing remains of the place that once characterized production and entertainment area, where the suburbs has now chaotically and unconsciously settled.
The paper proposes a change of perspective on the role of commissioning, contrasting the current ‘static’ idea with a ‘diachronic’ vision of it (which considers both the initial client and the subsequent
“owners and holders” who transmit an object to the future). This vision corresponds more to the history of buildings characterized by complex constructive events and highlights the central role of ‘transmission’ with its responsibilities.
Consequently, the reference to ethics in conservation is explicit and also the possible conflicts between public interest (e.g. the right to public use or, more generally, the “right to cultural heritage”, as referred to in the Faro Convention) and private interests (linked to contingent circumstances).
The term ‘interest’ generally leads to consider above all monetary revenues –hence the economic sustainability of conservation– neglecting the concept of “public good” (regardless of the assets
ownership) and the related issues, such as the general ‘need’ of culture and its positive effects on civil development and quality of life.
Furthermore, the conservation of architecture is conditioned by circumstances related to the current use of buildings, which are often considered only as containers of functions (or, at best, of works of
art). On the contrary, today it is still essential to underline that the historical building bears other meanings and values, so it’s important to make the current clients (and the ‘stakeholders’ in general) aware of the responsibilities that cultural heritage implies.
The actual post-seismic reconstructions highlight the priority given to private interests and the recovery of functionality, to the detriment of knowledge and understanding of the meaning of places on which one intervenes. With reference to similar experiences, the paper proposes a new figure of ‘client’ answering for the protection of public interest more than for interests linked to contingent factors, which tend to neglect the transmission of cultural inheritance.
Mountain landscape is the combination of environmental patrimony and (more or less) anthropized territory; a particular reflection must be done where the latter one presents such labile traces of anthropization (hiking trails, huts) which are, however, significant for historical and cultural reasons related to mountaineering history, to the evolution of geographic knowledge, but also to the XXth century war events that occurred on the borders between the European nations.
In the last century the practice of mountain tourism grew increasingly, taking with it a landscape distorsion due to the development of winter sports and the socio-economic change of many alpine areas, that have been subjected to a withdrawal from rural activities (with the consequent degradation of the territory and its characteristic buildings) and to a building development often uncontrolled.
The aspects we intend to reflect on are the following:
Mountain tourism begins with the history of mountaineering and it is stimulated by the interest in knowing the mountains (see also Viollet le Duc and the Mont Blanc) and the desire to conquer inaccessible places; however, it has recently become a mass phenomenon only linked to sporting challenges that ignore the environment (as the extreme case of tourism on the Everest which damages the mountain by its intensive frequentation of access roads, trails and base camps);
The maintenance of tracks and huts involves some adaptations to safety regulations that often conflict with the authenticity of historic artifacts. As an example, we may consider the various enlargements of alpine huts, which are rarely evidence of a serious awareness of architectural and environmental values (and which have recently become an opportunity for “archistars” to exhibit themselves). There is also the need to preserve important material traces, such as trenches and war shelters, historical mountain passes, ancient climbing ways, etc.);
The accessibility to high altitude areas is increasingly favoured by cableways, funiculars and railways (see the Jungfrau railway in Switzerland) and this fact often involves a frequent and inadequate visiting of the mountain environment. Furthermore, tracks are often used also by vehicles (off-road motorcycles, mountain bikes) which accelerate the consumption.
All this considered, the conservation discipline can contribute to the sustainable preservation of mountain environment with its material historical evidence, as well as to a conscious exploitation of the “Terre Alte” (High Lands) which prevents a possible transformation of natural territory in an object for consumption.
Gli approfondimenti conoscitivi derivanti dalle osservazioni sui danni sismici e nel cantiere hanno portato a nuove riflessioni e interpretazioni; il presente lavoro intende documentare quanto compiuto e offrire un contributo di conoscenza da trasmettere al futuro, insieme alla ‘restituzione’ dell’edificio alla sua funzionalità e alla fruizione pubblica.
Il progetto e il cantiere di restauro del palazzo Carli Benedetti sono stati un’occasione preziosa per sviluppare e approfondire la conoscenza su diversi filoni di ricerca, che vanno oltre lo studio del singolo edificio. L’analisi delle fasi costruttive ripercorre la storia sismica del territorio, l’indagine storica è estesa alle trasformazioni di un settore urbano (dagli insediamenti medievali fino alle alterazioni più recenti), la ricostruzione della storia conservativa si confronta con le modalità di trasmissione del palazzo nei secoli.
Inoltre, la situazione di danno dopo il sisma ha consentito di osservare numerosi dettagli costruttivi e indizi di trasformazioni; l’osservazione attenta durante le fasi di lavorazione ha portato alla scoperta di apparati decorativi nascosti, a riconoscere le tracce di configurazioni precedenti e di altri dettagli di grande interesse per lo studio dell’architettura storica.
"Terremoti e resilienza nell’architettura aquilana. Persistenze, trasformazioni e restauro del palazzo Carli Benedetti"
(Edizioni Quasar, Roma 2018)
Interventi di:
Donatella Fiorani, Sapienza Università di Roma
Simonetta Ciranna, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila
Antonio Di Stefano, SABAP-AQ
Concerto: "Gli strumenti dello studiolo e la musica segreta di palazzo Carli Benedetti"
con Goffredo Degli Esposti, Filippo Calandra, Giordano Ceccotti, Giacomo Silvestri
Introduzione di Francesco Zimei
L’Aquila, sabato 26 maggio 2018, ore 18,00
Cortile di palazzo Carli Benedetti - Via Accursio 17
While the disastrous conditions may appear similar to those of a war zone, which raises (now anachronistic and unfeasible) psychologically-motivated demands to reconstruct ‘where it was - how it was’, on the other hand the destruction caused by natural events produces emotional reactions to do with safety. For this reason, there is now a general devaluation of historic architectural features, considered (sometimes erroneously) to be inadequate and unsafe, in favour of modern construction technologies
that have not always been effective; not to mention a general mistrust of seismic improvement, which is considered less effective than seismic retrofitting.
This position has resulted in the demolition of a vast swathe of historic heritage and many historic buildings have been replaced by others of poor architectural quality that aim to imitate their predecessors and that reuse formal construction elements that are nonsensical when incorporated into new buildings.
On the contrary, conservation is far from restoration and counterfeiting; research on this subject can provide the conceptual means to deal with reconstruction not only with a technical approach but also with a more cultural one, which has to be extended from planning in historic contexts and landscapes to reconstruction work in damaged areas, which should be considered true ‘lacunae’ in a figurative urban fabric.
Furthermore, our historical-structural understanding of buildings allows us to highlight their actual resilience over time, something which should be taken into consideration when evaluating the actual vulnerability of historic buildings (a vulnerability that is often due to inadequate improvements rather than structural deficiencies) and calibrating the reinforcement work necessary for each specific case.
Actually the practice is clearly addressed by the premises that guide the interventions, if the purpose is the preservation of a “material evidence which has a value of culture” (definition of the Franceschini Commission in 1967) or the simple re-use of an historic building. Nowadays the seismic reconstruction is guided by such laws that give exclusive priority to recovering the functionality of the buildings damaged, while the cultural issue of restoration appears misunderstood and generally confined to the decorative conservation. One of the consequences of this approach is the inappropriate attention given to the historical architecture authenticity, mainly in reference with those buildings not subjected to safeguard, that can be demolished and rebuilt because of economic benefit criteria. Little consideration is also given to monumental buildings as regards the conservation of architectural surfaces, with the renewal of plasters, which seems to be inappropriate both from the historical point of view and the aesthetic one. It seems to exist an approach aimed to the preservation of form, rather than substance; this could be consequence of the enlarged protection on the “intangible aspects” of Cultural Heritage, of which a negative aspect might be deflecting attention from the concrete matter of restoration.
facade of the San Bernardino Basilica not only constitute a
completely unpublished story, but offer various reasons for
reflection.
The split between structure and form, on which the intervention
of the Civil Engineering Department is based, produces an
extreme choice poorly based on the real danger. A singular
distance between the theoretical-methodological acquisitions
and the practice is evident, aimed at continuing what has
already been achieved in the past without any critical reflection.
The monumental sixteenth-century facade was almost
completely disassembled and rebuilt with an internal frame in
reinforced concrete in 1958-1962, although it was unharmed
both in 1703 (when an earthquake damaged the dome, which
was later rebuilt), and in 1915 during the earthquake that
destroyed Marsica.
In addition to the inopportune demolition, the oblivion that
characterizes the story is surprising; here it is reconstructed
on the basis of the technical reports and documents of the
construction site.
The recent seismic events have subjected the facade to a test
which has proved to be effective, but have also confirmed the
vulnerability of the dome and the bell tower, already manifested
in the past.
Today we cannot ignore the real consistency of the building
and future conservation criticalities, nor persist in the obstinate
separation between structural and restoration issues (as if this
concerned only the superficial aspect).
Se in taluni casi l’inclusione dei valori intangibili può aver prodotto una maggiore sensibilizzazione e costituito un espediente per la valorizzazione, l’invenzione del patrimonio immateriale ha ulteriormente confuso la ‘materia’ del restauro e ignorato gli aspetti concreti della conservazione.
Attraverso alcuni esempi si vuole riflettere sulle possibili strategie per la conservazione di beni architettonici e ambientali difficilmente percepiti come ‘monumentali’, il cui banale utilizzo pratico comporta tuttavia distorsioni di significato e conseguenti danni materiali.
Nei contesti danneggiati da eventi catastrofici, le attenzioni verso il patrimonio risultano spesso motivate da necessità pratiche (recupero della funzionalità) o emotive (ripristino dell’immagine); al contrario, i casi studio del cimitero dell’Aquila e del complesso dell’ex-ospedale psichiatrico presso Santa Maria di Collemaggio offrono l’opportunità di riflettere sul nesso tra la conoscenza e le modalità di conservazione di luoghi finora ignorati e trascurati. In questi casi il riconoscimento dell’interesse culturale non trova riscontro in adeguate cure conservative e in opportune modalità di fruizione, ma rischia piuttosto di amplificare gli effetti deleteri derivanti da usi e manutenzioni inadeguate o da azioni speculative rivolte a un patrimonio visto solo per la sua valenza immobiliare, quando non per la sua attrattività turistica.
storici sia sul fronte della conoscenza che sul piano della conservazione e, più in generale, su
quello del restauro dell’architettura. Accanto alla sopravvivenza e manutenzione di finiture di
singolare ‘pregio’ si rileva, in particolare nell’ambito della ricostruzione post-sismica in corso,
un’estesa perdita di tali elementi di cultura materiale, spesso sopravvissuti grazie a lunghi
periodi di abbandono.
PAROLE CHIAVE serramenti storici, Abruzzo, architettura, conservazione, restauro.
It is therefore proposed to update the Florence Charters by extending the reflections to the ‘stones gardens’ that have arisen for purposes other than leisure ones, modulating the conservative guidelines on the basis of the meanings and specific values represented by each place.
Now this issue is dealt with a different perspective, considering that the condition of abandonment can be considered a resource, and not just a cause of degradation. Indeed, the abandonment is an important source of attraction, which permitted to preserve the authenticity of these places and today inspire new interests and temporary returns.
century transformations due to the development of tourism. The ‘intellectual’ attraction towards mountains of many scholars, scientists and artists over the
centuries (from Leon Battista Alberti and Leonardo da Vinci to Ruskin and Viollet Le Duc) shows an interest that goes far beyond the sporting motivations or the only naturalistic value of mountain territories. This implies, among the environmental protection actions, also the need to recognize and safeguard the historical traces of mountain attendance: routes, stone shelters, war artefacts, alpine huts. Generally, these latter constructions have been replaced or transformed by using them or by functional adaptations, so much so that examples of unaltered historical buildings
are very rare to find. Among these, one of the first alpine huts built by the Italian Alpine Club is the Garibaldi hut on the Gran Sasso mountain (the first idea dates to
1875, the construction to 1884-86); today it is one of the very rare cases of huts that have never been significantly transformed. In this case, the disuse (following the nearby construction of another hut in 1908, and then of the cableway and the Campo Imperatore hotel in 1933) has preserved the authenticity of the building and
the natural environment, despite the frequentation of surrounding paths has changed.
The reflection on the meaning and the values of historical buildings and artefacts stimulates new considerations and proposals on the protection of a territory threatened today by intense frequentation, which entails a physical and cultural degradation with irreversible consequences.
Starting from this observation, this article is a reflection not only on the material damage caused by unnecessary interventions on architectural surfaces (e.g. extreme cleaning of stone materials, substitution of finishes with inappropriate materials or products) but also on the intangible damage achieved from it (the diffusion of a “kitsch restoration” that uses history for consumer purposes) and on the origins of a presumed and unjustified division between surfaces and architecture.
It is assumed, in fact, that some important ways for documentation, successfully proposed and realized in the context of restoration since the early Nineties, may have helped to dissociate the ‘representation’ of the architectural surface from the complex material reality of architecture.
The geographical context of these considerations is that of post-seismic reconstruction in Abruzzo; observing the results so far achieved and the rare experiments that avoid to remove the memory of the traumatic event, we try to compare the reasons for the preservation of authenticity (where existent) and the motivations for renewal.
The result is a general reflection on restoration and the discrepancy observed between the ‘inner’ awareness of the discipline and the ‘outer’ (sometimes antithetical) perception, as well as between study methods addressed to architecture and individual specialized approaches on different materials or artefacts. So, it seems that the unity of methodology (and of purposes) is today broken up into different orientations, with goals that are not always clear and coherent with the discipline.
This paper provides a specific contribution (in the field of Architectural Conservation) to the “regeneration project” of the urban complex, so that the new use may be compatible with the preservation of what remains of the former buildings and with their meaning.
The method is to identify - through the study of archival documents - the earlier buildings materials traces and to ensure their preservation and integration in the new building, not in a “passive” way (as a kind of archaeological material exposition), but with a reverse procedure, in which the project accepts the incitements provided by the analysis of historical context and by the acknowledgement of its multiple and stratified values.
The analysis is developed on different and interconnected levels: on one hand, the study of existing buildings (by investigating the constructive stratification and by detecting the additions that alter the building understanding) identifies what elements must be safeguarded and what, instead, can be modified. On the other hand, the historical reading of the urban context (which has been greatly transformed by the construction of the hospital and of the new roads system) aims to return a part of the city which had been alienated from the civic attendance.
Through the usual instruments of Conservation (here used in a new circumstance) the study traces the history of the buildings that marked those places, so that the new project may be based on the recognition of the site values and their authentic transmission.