THE CONSERVATION OF HISTORICAL RUINS REMARKS ON THE METHOD

The conservation of historical ruins is one of the most difficult domains of the protection of monuments of architecture. Unique methods were conceived relatively early on in England. The presented article is an attempt at a methodic description of the course of work intent on making ruins open to society, after the introduction of suitable protection as well as those ventures which would prolong their existence. Work is based on a complete examination of the ruins and their assessment, together with the directives of the Venice Charter (article15 ) : “Ruins must be maintained and measures necessary for the permanent conservation and protection of architectural features and of objects discovered must be taken. Furthermore, every means must be taken to facilitate the understanding of the monument and to reveal it without ever distorting its meaning. All reconstruction work should however be ruled out ‘a priori’. Only anastylosis, that is to say, the reassembling of existing but dismembered parts can be permitted. The material used for integration should always be recognizable and its use should be the least that will ensure the conservation of a monument and the reinstatement of its form”. The first stage of the undertakings should include initial reconnaissance of the ruins; studies, including archaeological and protection, and producing documentation; the assessment of type ruins from their viewpoint of their historical, artistic, emotional and picturesque qualities. The second stage consists of arriving at a general conception of the “reanimation” of the ruins by granting them a new role and planning their total protection. The final stage involves making a detailed programme and its realisation for the sake of the ruins, their background and surrounding. A detailed programme focused on ruins must take into consideration the necessity of limiting socalled consecutive supplements, usually caused by the following factors: - preparing the ruins for sightseeing, which results in outlining protected excursion routes, - construction reinforcement and the conservation of the substance of permanent ruins, with emphasis on the wall face and coping as well as the proper drainage of the whole premise, - the process of rendering the ruins legible (so-called interpretation supplementation) for the sake of a correct comprehension of the original structure and function, - display of the extracted details (lapidaries), - rendering the ruins more attractive, e. g. thanks to son et lumiere spectacles, - limiting the introduction of new functions into the ruins. The final shape of the conserved ruins is determined by the authentic substance, the manner and scope of the addition of necessary supplements as well as the preservation of the picturesque qualities of the monument. Authentic substance. The protection and conservation of ruins should serve the preservation and presentation of their authentic state. In the case of a stratified monument, the decisive role is played by an evaluation analysis. A monument which has preserved its original elements, i.e. the authentic substance, produces emotional experiences associated with history and possesses the merit of a document. This is the reason why the restoration of ruins cannot diminish the authentic substance. Scope of addition. All work involving ruins must take into account the proportions between that which is original and that which has been added. After the completion of suitable work the original elements should remain dominant. This is the reason why, for example, the scope of additional walls should remain limited to a minimum and can stem from technical reasons and the interpretation conception. Manner of addition. The added elements should be, on the one hand, legible, and, on the other hand, be integrated with the historical ruins according to the recommendations of the Venice Charter. The preservation of picturesque qualities. As a rule ruins are the most picturesque prior to conservation. Necessary work, even conducted with greatest possible piety, sometimes results in a certain “rigidity” of the preserved substance, which in time becomes alleviated by the impact of atmospheric factors. For this reason, while remaining well aware of the threats posed to the picturesque qualities of the ruins, we should aim at limiting all activity which produces such effects