Reinvigorating Life of Southern Italy Fortified Architecture in Ruin: From Knowledge to Conservation

Abstract

Southern Italy, the ancient Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, shows a rich heritage of fortified architecture, with towers, castles, boundary walls and any other defensive works, witnesses of historical seasons of sieges and enemy attacks. Over time, with the loss of their original function, many of them, in an advanced state of degradation and abandonment, survive only as ruin, tangible historical trace of ancient architectural artefacts. The ruin is the past that becomes present, by integrating with what now exists; at the same time, it arouses nostalgic and melancholic emotions. Through the ruin it is possible to appreciate particular constructive registers, some distribution systems, materials and any other element useful for technologically and historically reconstructing analysis. The ruins are the result of the “non-academic” skills of the local population. The aim of the research is to evaluate the state of the art of the fortifications in a well-defined geographical area, the Cilento coast, according to the so-called degree of ruderization which allows the restorer to objectively evaluate the state of conservation of the historical buildings and to orientate all the conservative and integrative interventions.

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