Last week we spoke about the word restoration, about its dual meaning and our tendency to consider it as “bringing the building back to its ancient splendor”. We believethat it is necessary to know trends and basic principles of architectural restoration, so that you can fully understand how important it is to follow our attention in giving new life to a villa or an old casolare.
Torre Amena, near the Monti Azzurri: a group of houses in brickwork, to be restored
Architectural restoration is the branch of knowledge of architecture that rules the preservation and re-use of an architectural work-of-art. Across the centuries there were many schools of thought relating to the method to be used, because of the dual meaning of restoration.
The French, during the Nineteenth century, spread the concept of “stylish restoration”, so that a brand new style and shape had to be given to the building. The English trend strictly opposed itself with its “romantic restoration” as an alternative way, including a strong care for structure, but also advising a non-intervention in case the building was in ruin.
In Italy there were two main architectural trends in the mid Nineteenth century: the “historical restoration” – not too far from the above-mentioned “stylish restoration” – and the “philological restoration”, that is an unconditional respect for all the features of the building and indeed very similar to our modern way of thinking.
The modern trends on architectural restoration mainly tend to save the available features of the building, to keep the history of the building and the acknowledgement of its re-use: even if you add some new features, it is important that they fit in perfectly into the original style.
Our team at Marche Country Homes takes care of each villa and ancient casolare as if it were an architectural work-of-art. Never mind its unknown past, because every house and building of the countryside in the Region Le Marche has a strong connection to the surrounding landscape and history, so that they deserve to be kept: they must be brought back to their ancient splendor.
