77815 - Theories of Conservation of Historic Buildings and Architectural Heritage

Academic Year 2022/2023

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Engineering of Building Processes and Systems (cod. 8829)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will have acquired knowledge of the themes and methodologies of the protection of the historical architectural heritage, with particular reference to the last two centuries of disciplinary history. The student will have the ability to critically identify the principles underlying the various interventions of restoration/conservation of the historical-architectural heritage and to understand their effects when applied to the historical built environment of the contemporary city.

Course contents

The course will attempt to answer two questions:

1. what are the reasons why Man has decided to preserve and restore the architecture of the past?

2. with what objectives, with what methods has he pursued the goal of conservation in various times and places?

The lessons, which will follow a mainly chronological order related to the emergence of theories and related practices, will illustrate the main evolutionary passages of thought on the subject, trying to move constantly from theoretical aspects to their operational reflections, emphasizing consistency and especially inconsistencies, trying to identify links and relationships with contemporary cultural, social and economic phenomena to the events that will be discussed during the lessons.

It is useful for the student to try to refer to his previous knowledge (acquired during the attendance of the High School or during previous university courses) in order to "set" the specific contents of the course in the wide context in which those thoughts originated and developed.

Readings/Bibliography

C. Ceschi, Teoria e storia del restauro, Bulzoni, Roma, 1970

P.B. Torsello, Restauro architettonico: padri, teorie, immagini, Angeli, Milano, 1984

A. Bellini (a cura di), Tecniche della Conservazione, Angeli, Milano, 1986

G . Carbonara, Avvicinamento al restauro, teoria, storia, monumenti, Liguori, Napoli, 1997

J. Jokilehto, A History of Architectural Conservation, Elsevier, Oxford, 1999

P.B. Torsello, Che cos’è il restauro?, Marsilio, Venezia, 2005

During each lesson more bibliography will be given on the topic of the lesson.

Teaching methods

The course will focus on ex-cathedra lessons in which will be appreciated the active participation of students who will have to ask questions or ask for clarification. Compatible with health conditions, will be organized study visits to architectural objects subject to restoration work. Students (individually or, if the theme is too broad and complex, grouped in groups of maximum three elements) will be asked to develop an exercise on a subject of the course and referred to an architecture object of restoration, which must be agreed with the teacher.

Assessment methods

The verification will take place through an interview in which the exercise produced by the student(s) will also be evaluated.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Pretelli