Il progetto di restauro: metodologia e prassi

An awareness of our common cultura! heritage and its enrichment of the community, not only from a cultural point of view, must necessarily encourage conservation of the same. Considering that conservation is achieved by implementing correct intervention, it is of fundamental importance to set plan­ ning guidelines that ensure the respect of the "ancient materials" on which the intervention is to be performed. Citingthe articies of the Venice Charter (1964) and the Restoration Charter (1972), the scope of restoration is to"conserve" and " record the formai and historical values of the monument" while restoration must be intended as any intervention whose aim is to "conserve the efficiency" and"facilitate interpretation" of the same. Restoration should therefore not simply be an intervention of mere conservation,or repair. The fundamental difference between planninga new building and planning intervention on an existing building, is the knowledge that one has about the buildingon which the intervention is to be carried out. lndeed, historical buildings, like any other building that requires conservation works,should be analysed in its current condition while simultaneously taking into account its transformations as a whole - historical phases - together with its "peculiarities", through static-structural investigations and with respect to its environment. ln-depth knowledge of a building is therefore an essential presupposition to intervene correctly, in an appropriate, essential and economical manner, in order to prevent errors or needlessly invasive interventions. A good project must necessarily be based on an indispensable fact-finding process which,thanks to new and increasingly precise diagnostic technologies and operational practices, has reached extremely high levels of specialisation. Restoration should moreover be differentiated from other operations, such as recovery or recyc/ing, which transform the architectural structure to the point of redesigning it entirely, orturning it simply into a scenic backstage, or using it as an excerpt from the ancient past. Planning choices should therefore always be guided by the principles of modern restoration:distinguishability between integrations and the originai parts,the reversibility of the restoration intervention,minimum intervention, the physical-chemical compatibility of the original materials and those used for the intervention,respect of the authenticity of the ancient material and finally expressive authenticity, in other words,any additional elements must be the expression of our times and should be merged with the ancient materials with the greatest care and respect. The project should be flexible and adaptable, so that it may be updated in the case of unforeseen circumstances or the results of more detailed investigations that inevitably specify and modify restoration and conservation choices during the project. The project should be planned by carefully taking into account the characteristics of the structure on which the in­ tervention is to be carried out, its environment and current use,as well as evaluating the need for maintenance. The very essential routine maintenance is the minimum requirement of good conservation and even its necessary survival. Once the meaning and role that cultural heritage plays in our Country has been fully appreciated, the best investment to make today,for its conservation, is in knowledge and maintenance.The conservation of cultural heritage is indeed the only way for humanity to question its past. All this may only be achieved by the dual combination of maintenance-conservation and thus with prevention and maintenance activities