Although we were already able to perceive how fundamental the English contribution was in defining the most current and shared concept of Restoration, there has been no clear overview of the complex events relating to the affirmation of conservative principles and a more in-depth knowledge of the documentary sources until now, necessary to analyse the cultural profiles of the protagonists accenting their theoretical contributions. The historical reconstruction of the events was developed over the course of three centuries, from the end of the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th, mostly based on the translation and study of texts never circulated in Italy, such as the fundamental document entitled ‘Papers on the Conservation of Ancient Monuments and Remains’ (1865). The adopted method in organizing the research results was marked by the desire to know the sources in depth, structuring the text through them, always in relation to the overall view and a chronologically ordered path. In the late seventeenth-century England the first conservationist tendencies were felt, and the attitudes that gradually led to a more mature concept of restoration were revealed by Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor and John Vanbrugh during the 18th century. The philosophical concept of ‘authenticity’ emerged on the British cultural scene and a deep interest in getting to know and preserve the prehistoric site of Stonehenge increased. John Ruskin is universally considered the main representative of the reaction against the destructive treatment of ancient buildings, but the centrality of other contributions, so far less explored and remained in the background, by Welby Pugin, Gilbert Scott, and John James Stevenson, both emerged in the development of the restoration theory and attitude towards conservative redirection of practice in the restoration site (particularly by Scott). William Morris was positively affected by Ruskin’s influence, though his attitude was also marked by social and political issues. He fought to extend the concept of safeguarding to all historical heritage through the S.P.A.B. Society for the Protection of Ancient Building. The international campaign to defend St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice was launched in 1879, unequivocally affirming the principle of the universal value of historical and artistic testimonies, intended as a cultural heritage of hu-manity to be transmitted to the future. Thanks to the legitimate protests received from the United Kingdom, the young Italian State began a self-critical process in restoration matter and attempted to correct the serious organizational dysfunctions through the first legislative initiatives for the protection of monuments. Francesco Bongioannini and Giuseppe Fiorelli (head of the Direzione Generale di Antichità e Belle Arti of the Ministry of Public Education) were the key figures of these important innovations. The same awareness also emerged in the United Kingdom, and the first government measures to defend the nation’s architectural and environmental heritage were enacted between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. The National Trust (also born from a vision of John Ruskin) added to the numerous associations already operating in the protection sector. The research remains open to further acquisitions, but the less blurry portraits and the sharper cultural profiles of the numerous protagonists and interpreters of the restoration in the United Kingdom (such as those of Wren, Pugin, Scott and Stevenson) can already be perceived, reconfirming the precious contribution offered by the English culture to the birth and affirmation of the Restoration as a modern conservative discipline.

Sebbene già riuscissimo a percepire quanto rilevante fosse l’apporto inglese per aver contribuito alla definizione del restauro modernamente inteso, sino ad oggi mancavano ancora sia una chiara visione d’insieme delle articolate vicende connesse all'affermazione dei princìpi conservativi, sia una più approfondita conoscenza delle fonti documentarie, necessarie al fine di tracciare i profili culturali dei protagonisti e scandagliarne i contributi teorici. La ricostruzione delle vicende è sviluppata entro margini temporali estesi all'incirca per tre secoli, dalla fine del Seicento al principio del Nove-cento, e strutturata attraverso la traduzione e lo studio di testi perlopiù mai circolati in Italia. Anche il fondamentale documento dal titolo Papers on The Conservation of Ancient Monuments and Remains del 1865, ovvero la ‘Carta inglese della Conservazione’, è stata evidenziata e tradotta soltanto nel 2013, nel volume Restauro Anno Zero di Francesco Tomaselli. Il metodo adottato nell'organizzazione degli esiti della ricerca è segnato dalla volontà di addentrarsi nelle fonti e strutturare il testo attraverso di esse, ma senza perdere mai di vista il quadro d’insieme e con la volontà di definire un percorso lineare ed ordinato cronologicamente. La trattazione procede nel tentativo di dare forza alle relazioni che connettono le esperienze (e con una particolare attenzione alle traduzioni dall'inglese all'italiano). Nell'Inghilterra di fine Seicento si avvertono le prime tendenze conservazioniste, e gli atteggiamenti che progressivamente condurranno ad una più matura concezione del restauro iniziano ad essere evidenziati da Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor e John Vanbrugh nel corso del XVIII secolo. Il concetto filosofico di ‘autenticità’ emerge sulla scena culturale britannica e l’interesse per la conoscenza e la conservazione del sito preistorico di Stonehenge si accende. John Ruskin è universalmente considerato il principale rappresentante della reazione contro il trattamento distruttivo delle architetture del passato, ma emerge anche la centralità degli apporti, finora meno scandagliati e rimasti in secondo piano, di Welby Pugin, Gilbert Scott, e John James Stevenson, sia nello sviluppo della teoresi disciplinare che nell'impegno (di Scott) al reindirizzamento conservativo della prassi nel cantiere di restauro. L’impegno di William Morris, che risente del positivo influsso del pensiero di Ruskin ma risulta marcato da istanze più chiaramente sociali e politiche, attraverso la S.P.A.B. contribuisce ad estendere il concetto di salvaguardia a tutto l’ambiente costruito e antropizzato. Sul finire del 1879 è avviata la campagna internazionale in difesa della basilica di San Marco a Venezia, e si afferma inequivocabilmente il principio del valore universale delle testimonianze storico-artistiche, intese come patrimonio culturale dell’umanità da trasmettere al futuro. Le proteste degli intellettuali inglesi spingono il giovane Stato unitario italiano ad innescare un processo autocritico in materia di restauro e, grazie all'impegno dell’ingegnere Francesco Bongioannini (braccio destro di Giuseppe Fiorelli a capo della Direzione Generale di Antichità e Belle Arti del Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione), con le prime iniziative legislative per la salvaguardia dei monumenti si tenta di correggere le gravi disfunzioni organizzative di cui, in seguito alle legittime critiche dei contestatori, il governo dello Stato italiano aveva preso coscienza. La stessa consapevolezza emerge anche nel Regno Unito e, tra la fine del XIX secolo e il principio del XX, sono emanati i primi provvedimenti governativi per la difesa del patrimonio architettonico ed ambientale della nazione. Alle numerose associazioni già operanti nel settore della tutela si aggiunge il National Trust, anch'esso nato da una visione di John Ruskin. La ricerca rimane aperta ad ulteriori acquisizioni, ma si riescono già a scorgere i ritratti meno sfocati – come quelli di Wren, Pugin, Scott e Ste-venson – ed i più nitidi profili culturali dei numerosi protagonisti e degli interpreti del restauro nel Regno Unito riconfermando, con assodate certezze, il prezioso contributo offerto dalla cultura inglese alla definizione del Restauro come moderna disciplina rivolta alla conservazione.

VENTIMIGLIA, G. (2020). DIO SALVI IL RESTAURO. L’apporto inglese alla cultura della conservazione dei monumenti. Palermo : Palermo University Press.

DIO SALVI IL RESTAURO. L’apporto inglese alla cultura della conservazione dei monumenti

VENTIMIGLIA, Gaspare
2020-01-01

Abstract

Although we were already able to perceive how fundamental the English contribution was in defining the most current and shared concept of Restoration, there has been no clear overview of the complex events relating to the affirmation of conservative principles and a more in-depth knowledge of the documentary sources until now, necessary to analyse the cultural profiles of the protagonists accenting their theoretical contributions. The historical reconstruction of the events was developed over the course of three centuries, from the end of the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th, mostly based on the translation and study of texts never circulated in Italy, such as the fundamental document entitled ‘Papers on the Conservation of Ancient Monuments and Remains’ (1865). The adopted method in organizing the research results was marked by the desire to know the sources in depth, structuring the text through them, always in relation to the overall view and a chronologically ordered path. In the late seventeenth-century England the first conservationist tendencies were felt, and the attitudes that gradually led to a more mature concept of restoration were revealed by Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor and John Vanbrugh during the 18th century. The philosophical concept of ‘authenticity’ emerged on the British cultural scene and a deep interest in getting to know and preserve the prehistoric site of Stonehenge increased. John Ruskin is universally considered the main representative of the reaction against the destructive treatment of ancient buildings, but the centrality of other contributions, so far less explored and remained in the background, by Welby Pugin, Gilbert Scott, and John James Stevenson, both emerged in the development of the restoration theory and attitude towards conservative redirection of practice in the restoration site (particularly by Scott). William Morris was positively affected by Ruskin’s influence, though his attitude was also marked by social and political issues. He fought to extend the concept of safeguarding to all historical heritage through the S.P.A.B. Society for the Protection of Ancient Building. The international campaign to defend St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice was launched in 1879, unequivocally affirming the principle of the universal value of historical and artistic testimonies, intended as a cultural heritage of hu-manity to be transmitted to the future. Thanks to the legitimate protests received from the United Kingdom, the young Italian State began a self-critical process in restoration matter and attempted to correct the serious organizational dysfunctions through the first legislative initiatives for the protection of monuments. Francesco Bongioannini and Giuseppe Fiorelli (head of the Direzione Generale di Antichità e Belle Arti of the Ministry of Public Education) were the key figures of these important innovations. The same awareness also emerged in the United Kingdom, and the first government measures to defend the nation’s architectural and environmental heritage were enacted between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. The National Trust (also born from a vision of John Ruskin) added to the numerous associations already operating in the protection sector. The research remains open to further acquisitions, but the less blurry portraits and the sharper cultural profiles of the numerous protagonists and interpreters of the restoration in the United Kingdom (such as those of Wren, Pugin, Scott and Stevenson) can already be perceived, reconfirming the precious contribution offered by the English culture to the birth and affirmation of the Restoration as a modern conservative discipline.
2020
Settore ICAR/19 - Restauro
978-88-5509-128-2
978-88-5509-129-9
VENTIMIGLIA, G. (2020). DIO SALVI IL RESTAURO. L’apporto inglese alla cultura della conservazione dei monumenti. Palermo : Palermo University Press.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/422693
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