Abstract
The research project KNOW.it – Transition in Digital Age: KNOWing our background to refine our future stems from the need to document, interpret, enhance and make accessible an architectural heritage of Italian origin that is now physically distant from Italy, yet deeply connected to its material, technical and figurative culture. In line with the objectives of the NRRP, the National Complementary Plan and European programmes devoted to the digitisation of cultural heritage, the project addresses the knowledge and enjoyment of Cultural Heritage through digital tools, 2D and 3D models, online archives and innovative communication strategies. The main aim is to propose a “virtual return” of Italian architecture abroad, by reconstructing and communicating the value of works, languages, techniques and migrant memories that contributed to the formation of extra-European urban landscapes. The project focuses on the pilot case studies of the Brazilian cities of Jaú and São Carlos, in the State of São Paulo: contexts that are still little known, yet highly significant because of the presence of buildings designed, built or influenced by architects, technicians, workers and communities of Italian origin. Through archival research, survey campaigns, digital modelling, historical-critical analysis and dissemination via web platforms and social networks, KNOW.it builds a hypermedia collection capable of restoring proximity to a geographically distant heritage and making it accessible to scholars, local communities and non-specialist audiences. Results Achieved The project has systematically reconstructed the knowledge framework concerning Brazilian architectural heritage of Italian origin, with particular attention to the case studies of Jaú and São Carlos. The activities made it possible to connect archival sources, historical documentation, original drawings, period photographs, surveys of the current state and digital models, offering an integrated interpretation of buildings that are often little studied, transformed over time or documented only through fragmentary materials. The research highlighted the role of Italian architects, designers and workers in shaping the urban identity of these Brazilian centres, showing how forms, construction techniques and decorative repertoires of Italian origin were reinterpreted within the local context. Archival and documentary research was carried out in municipal archives and local institutions, with particular reference to the city of Jaú, where building-permit documents, historical photographs and collected testimonies made it possible to identify and analyse numerous significant buildings. The missions in Brazil expanded the knowledge base already acquired, integrating previous documentation with new photographic, photogrammetric and survey campaigns. In particular, buildings located along several urban axes of Jaú were documented, including Rua Lourenço Prado, Rua Visconde do Rio Branco, Rua Major Prado, Rua Rangel Pestana, Rua Edgard Ferraz, Rua Riachuelo, Rua Humaitá and other central areas of the city. The activities concerned both the overall reading of the buildings in their urban context and the analysis of specific architectural elements, such as cornices, pilasters, loggias, openings, capitals, decorative apparatuses and façade compositional systems. A central result was the development of a replicable working method for the acquisition, interpretation and digital restitution of architectural heritage. The research units defined common criteria for the construction of 2D and 3D models, to ensure graphic homogeneity, representational consistency and comparability among the different case studies. Two-dimensional models of numerous buildings in Jaú and São Carlos were produced or initiated, including the building at Rua Lourenço Prado 1066, Residência Família Pileggi, Palacete Bento Carlos de Arruda Botelho, Palacete Conde do Pinhal, Hotel União, the Centro de Divulgação Científica e Cultural – former seat of the Società Dante Alighieri – and Santa Casa de Misericórdia. The representations were organised according to scales and formats consistent with the nature of the buildings: general plans and urban location drawings, plans, elevations and sections at architectural scale, with the further development of details useful for analysing the characteristics of the Italian architectural language. The survey and modelling campaigns made it possible to verify the quality of the acquired data and to address critical issues related to the discontinuity of sources, the transformation of buildings and the inaccessibility of some parts. The construction of digital models was conceived not only as a geometric restitution, but also as a critical tool for comparing the original project, historical documentation and the current state. This approach made it possible to identify permanences, alterations, losses and transformations, contributing to a deeper understanding of the historical and identity value of the buildings analysed. Another important result is the creation of the project’s digital archive. The Archiui Musei Pro – KNOW.it platform, activated at https://knowit.archiui.com/, was configured as an online environment for collecting, organising and making the materials produced accessible. The platform allows the management of descriptive sheets, images, documents, models, thematic paths, maps and multimedia contents. The archive was conceived as a dynamic, searchable and progressively implementable catalogue, capable of integrating geolocation, search filters, gallery views, narrative paths and links between related buildings. In this way, the project does not only produce scientific results, but also builds a public access space for knowledge, consistent with the principles of Open Access, inclusion and the dissemination of cultural heritage. The project also defined guidelines and operational protocols for the documentation, analysis and communication of architectural heritage of Italian origin abroad. These guidelines bring together the solutions adopted in the various phases of the work: selection of case studies, retrieval of sources, organisation of information, survey of the current state, construction of digital models, structuring of the archive and communication of results. The experience developed through the Brazilian case studies has therefore been transformed into a transferable method for other contexts characterised by migrant, dispersed or little-known heritage. Dissemination represented an essential component of the research. The project activated dedicated social media channels, particularly Instagram and Facebook, through which objectives, work phases, images from survey campaigns, archival materials, digital models and informative sheets on the analysed buildings were shared. Communication was conceived not merely as the transfer of information, but as a tool for involving local communities. In this sense, the “Call for Memories” played an important role in encouraging citizens’ participation and promoting the collection of testimonies, memories and materials useful for reconstructing the social value of the buildings. Dissemination activities were also carried out through missions, conferences, workshops and international initiatives. In Brazil, meetings were organised with institutions, archives, cultural associations and local communities, including AJAC – Jauense Association for Environment and Culture – and the Municipality of Jaú. Teaching and scientific activities were also carried out within the course “Análise e Documentação do Patrimônio Cultural Moderno: processos híbridos de representação” at the Instituto de Arquitetura e Urbanismo of the Universidade de São Paulo, with the aim of sharing methodologies for digital documentation, photogrammetric surveying, laser scanning, modelling and heritage communication. The project was also presented in international contexts, including the mission at the University of Science and Technology in Vietnam and the workshop “3D Cultural Heritage: Analysis and Documentation through Virtual Worlds”, contributing to the international circulation of the research outcomes. Scientific production accompanied and consolidated the results achieved. Contributions were published in national and international journals and scientific venues dedicated to migrant architectural memory, traditional and digital archives, heritage representation and the enhancement of Italian architecture in Brazil. Among these are contributions in Paesaggio Urbano, Disegnare Con..., Buildings and TEMA, respectively devoted to the KNOW.it project and the Italian legacy in Brazil, the enhancement of archives, the case of Santa Casa de Misericórdia in São Carlos and the historical memory of Fazenda Santa Maria do Monjolinho. Furthermore, the final publication with BUP is currently being prepared; it will collect the overall outcomes of the work, systematising the methodology, case studies, digital models, guidelines, scientific results and dissemination strategies. Overall, KNOW.it has achieved significant results at the scientific, methodological, technological and communicative levels. The project has made a little-known heritage visible, tested digital tools for its “virtual return”, built an online archive for its conservation and enjoyment, produced models and documentation useful for research and enhancement, and activated public engagement processes capable of reconnecting Italy and Brazil through architectural memory.
Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Cristiana Bartolomei
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Architettura
Coordinatore:
"Sapienza" Universita' Di Roma(Italy)
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 75.230,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
30/11/2023
Data di fine:
30/11/2025
