TEORIA E STORIA DEL RESTAURO

The goal of the academic course of Theory and History of Restoration is to provide insight into the history of theories and practices of intervention on existing architecture.

Therefore, the course provides an overview of the evolution of architectural restoration and of its main trends, with particular attention to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, up to the present time. In particular, we’ll examine the different attitudes of each epoch towards its past and their interaction with the development of history of architecture, technology, restoration. Finally, we’ll understand the contemporary scenario and the present objectives of of historical heritage preservation.

The course is preparatory to those of Restoration, to be followed during the fourth year. It also wants to promote the acquisition of a critical approach, in order to make the students understand and appreciate the past heritage and deal with the restoration design, developing their cultural awareness and technical skills.

Formal lectures and group discussion of the contents.

Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus. Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.

1. The idea of Restoration

2. Restoration before Restoration

3. Neoclassicism and the second half of the eighteenth century

4. The modern idea of Restoration

5. The conservation attitudes and the English approach

6. Stylistic Restoration in Italy and its “objective version” of Historic Restoration

7. The Italian school. The “intermediate theory”

8. Middle-European approach to Conservation

9. WWII post-war and the Second half of the twentieth century

10. The different positions in the contemporary debate

Bibliography:

1. GLENDINNING, Miles, The Conservation Movement: A History of Architectural Preservation, Antiquity to Modernity, London, Routledge, 2013 or, as an alternative,
2. JOKILEHTO, Jukka, A History of Architectural Conservation, London, Routledge, (2007) 2017².

Supplementary books:

3. STANLEY PRICE, Nicholas, TALLEY, Mansfield Kirby Jr., MELUCCO VACCARO, Alessandra (Eds.), Historical and Philosophical Issues in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Los Angeles, The Getty Conservation Institute, 1996.