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Rossi (2006) Cemeteries A Monument of Our Civic Heritage. Monuments Knowledge, Architecture Conservation, Urban Rehabilitation
Rossi (2006) Cemeteries A Monument of Our Civic Heritage. Monuments Knowledge, Architecture Conservation, Urban Rehabilitation
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Michela Rossi
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Editorial Committee
María Montserrat Martínez Valenzuela
Jose Joaquín Llorente García
Lupe Navarro Motón
Irene Fornes Moros
Mª Luz Campos Maestre
Graphics Desing
Massimo Battista
Filippo Bardini
Sandro Parrinello
Carlo Raffaelli
Giorgio Verdiani
Translation
Laura Angelini
Carmit Horev
Giampiero Mele
Alessandro Merlo
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ISBN 978-88-7970-637-7
“To protect and treasure the genius loci means in
fact embodying the essence in still new historical
context. We can also say that a place history should
be its “selffulfilment”.
Christian Norberg-Schulz
We would like to thank all those who contributed by their work to the Forum UNESCO - University and
Heritage. XIth International Seminar and give their authorization for publication. Forum UNESCO - University
and Heritage cannot be held responsible for either the contents or opinions expressed in these works. In
addition, the authors hereby declare that the contents of this communication are original ones, or when
appropriate, they have the corresponding authorization to include long quotations or to use / adapt tables
illustrations from other works.
Nous remercions les auteurs de leur contribution, par leurs travaux, au XIe Séminaire intenational du Forum
UNESCO - Université et patrimoine et de nous accorder leur autorisation pour leur publication. Forum
UNESCO - Université et patrimoine décline toute responsabilité quant aux contenus de leurs travaux qui
sont des originaux ou, le cas échéant, qu’ils disposent d’une autorisation pour inclure de longues citations
ou pour utiliser / adapter des tableaux ou illustrations d’autres travaux.
Agradecemos a los autores la contribución de sustrabajos al XI Seminario Internacional Forum UNESCO
- Universidad y Patrimonio, concediéndonos la autorización para su publicación. Forum UNESCO -
Universidad y Patrimonio no se hace responsable de los contenidos ni opiniones manifestadas en estos
trabajos. Ademàs, los autores declarán que los contenidos de sus trabajos son originales, o en su caso,
disponen del permiso para incluir citas extensas o para utilizar/adaptar tablas o ilustraciones de otros
trabajos.
XI International Seminar Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage
Firenze, 11-15/09/2006
Documentation for Conservation and Development. New Heritage Strategies for the Future
HONORARY COMMITTEE
Francesco Bandarin
Director UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Augusto Marinelli
Rector, Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
Joseph Phares
ICOMOS, Lebanon
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Marielle Richon
UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Marco Bini
Stefano Bertocci
Saverio Mecca
Guido Vannini
Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
Mario Docci
“La Sapienza” Università degli Studi di Roma, Italy
Claudio Greppi
Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Marco Bini
Stefano Bertocci
Emma Mandelli
Saverio Mecca
Raffaele Paloscia
Maria Chiara Torricelli
Guido Vannini
Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
Khaldun Bshara
RIWAQ - Centre for Architectural Conservatio, Palestina
Mario De Grassi
Università Poitelcnica della Marche, Italy
Mario Docci
“La Sapienza” Università degli Studi di Roma, Italy
Mammadova Gulchohra
Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, Azerbaijan
Mohammed El-Khalili
Hashemite University, Jordan
Antoine Lahoud
Lebanese American University, Lebanon
Bensaid El Montacir
Ecole Nationale d’architecture, Morocco
XI International Seminar Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage
Firenze, 11-15/09/2006
Documentation for Conservation and Development. New Heritage Strategies for the Future
Claudio Alessandri
Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Italy
SEMINAR SECRETARIAT
Manola Lucchesi
Gioi Gonnella
Grazia Poli
Giorio Verdini
Carlo Battini
Sergio Di Tondo
Filippo Fantini
Univeristà degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
XI International Seminar Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage
Firenze, 11-15/09/2006
Documentation for Conservation and Development. New Heritage Strategies for the Future
UNIVERSITY AND HERITAGE
The “Forum UNESCO University and Heritage” is a project aimed at the protection and defence
of the World Heritage identified by the UNESCO roll.
The programme includes, among other activities, the knowledge of local heritage and
promotes studies, methodological deepening and intervention for its preservation, realizing
a specific catalogue of the protected properties. With the cooperation of Universites from all
over the world, the Forum UNESCO University and Heritage is aimed at making students
aware of the preservation of cultural heritage. As in the last years, university workshop and
thematic meetings have now the will to face subjects useful to develop the right professions for
recovery and protection of historical, artistic and cultural heritage all over the world. The Forum
UNESCO University and Heritage wishes to link two wide realities among the cultural world,
like Heritage and University by exchanging information through a specific provided network, in
order to search and find qualified resources, to promote and facilitate the diffusion of research
in an international cooperation context, focused exclusively on culture protection.
The main targets of the Florence Seminar Office are the promotion of didactic institutional
activities in Architecture Faculty as well as in the whole University of Florence, the development
of international relationships among teachers and students, courses scheduling, internships,
specific workshop, research activities, exhibitions and scientific publications linked to the
themes of knowledge, preservation and use of cultural heritage. Archaeological sites of interest
like Petra, in Jordan, as well as documentation and preservation subjects related to historical
centres, monuments and cultural properties protected by UNESCO.
WORKSHOP PROGRAM
XI International Seminar Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage
Firenze, 11-15/09/2006
Documentation for Conservation and Development. New Heritage Strategies for the Future
Li Fan CHINA
The National Research Center of Historic Cities
Evaluation matrix for the impact of tourism from social, economical and cultural
perspective
Xin Li CHINA
National Center of Historic City Studies, Tongji University
Institutional change of the conservation systems of water towns in the south of the
Yangtze River on the background of China’s temporary social-economic transition
Giulio Troili and Ferdinando Galli Bibiena. Two expressions of the Italian Quadratura
and the french contributions
XI International Seminar Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage
Firenze, 11-15/09/2006
Documentation for Conservation and Development. New Heritage Strategies for the Future
Reconstrucción virtual del Palacio Real de Valencia según los planos de 1802
descubiertos en 2005
Wang Yu CHINA
Urban Planning and Design, CAUP, Tongji University
Historic centers, documentation and conservation policies
Alberto Sposito IT
Full Professor, University of Palermo, Department of Project and Building Construction, Faculty of Architecture
Architecture and Modelling
Presentation 23
Opening ceremony
Francesco Bandarin 24
Paula Grifoni 28
Raimondo Innocenti 29
Sawaaz Khrejsheh 30
Bruno Santi 32
Simone Siliani 33
35
Workshop program
Index 65
AUTHORS TITLES PAG.
THEMATIC AREA 1 96
Maria Helena Ferreira Machado NATURAL, CULTURAL AND HISTORIC HE- 116
RITAGE: BRAZILIAN LEGISLATION AND ITS
ROLE IN SOCIOECONOMIC SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
829
Full Paper Presentation
1355
Full Paper Presentation
Michela Rossi
Cemeteries: a monument of our civic heritage. rect action on urban enviroment rehabilitation.
Monuments knowledge, architecture conservation, The most objects are still in use, and conservation
urban rehabilitation. problems meet with evolving hygienic regulations.
Cemetery governance means actually rehabilitation
abstract of historic burial structures, where compenetrate ur-
In recent times, it is growing up a new attention to- ban layout and different architectural tipology and
ward burial architectures, wich offers several rich giuridic property.
monuments, but today presents heavy problems Monuments knowledge is the first requirement, but
concerning conservation and rehabilitation, involving survey modality are ambiguous and undefined, from
single architecture as well as urban enviromental urban scale to microarchitecture.
quality. In recent experience over Parma monumental ce-
Cemeteries are architectural monuments, and they metery “La Villetta”, buildt in 1817 from previous Na-
may be individuated as buildings with a specific ti- poleon’s wife, Maria Luigia of Austria, solution has
pological organization. They are also urban settel- been found adopting software tools in informative
ments, where deaths-towns act as reduced models system (software Arcview), managed by Cecilia Te-
of living-town, with similar growing schemas and go- deschi. Survey documents and others informations
vernance problems. were related in a two layers tree structure, based on
But they are at first the biggest monument of civic individuation of 8 omogeneous sectors and a thou-
history, where lies memory of distinguished citizens, sand of elementary units, each of them registered
and - toward them - of their important acts. and catalogued.
Eventually, human ambition to go trhough fisic death
by monuments durability improve architecture quali- Death constitutes a very important matter for each
ty, while memory and complexity of relation between individual’s social life and it is represented by many
live and death inspire arts. figurative and allegoric signs in every culture. These
So the graveyard becomes a living museums whe- cultures, according to their religious beliefs, have de-
re is conserved a rich and various artistic catalogue, veloped folkloristic rituals closely related to specific
like a stylistic repertorius of memorial buildings and geographical areas.
other manufacts, buildt up to preserve memory and The importance of the relationship between mankind
often also to show wealth and powerful, and thus re- and death is underlined by the particular attention
lated to life quality and census. that every culture gives to the deceased and to the
Modern graveyard borns in XVIII century as hygienic symbolic passage that he or she goes through during
structure, based upon scientific studies about bodies the funeral. These rituals are so important that many
decay, with specific rules and characteristic organi- anthropologists identify whole cultures simply by the
zation. Because of this sometimes cemetery was treatment given to the corpses, in which a great deal
tought as a machine and it is both rapresentative and of care is used to preserve the body and many fune-
functional structure, becoming a kind of monumental real artefacts and funerary outfits are involved. The
factory. creation of specific areas is motivated by the sacred
It is still a good business, but high complexity of mo- role of the life and death mystery, aiming to represent
dern burial settements, fast grown up and buildt in, the town of the living in miniature scale on a sort of
made their governance difficult, and often architectu- transcendent level.
re has suffered and suffers low quality meintenance. The rituals on the body and the locations are very
Historic kerns, with their artistic treasures mainly ra- distinctive; however, the gravity given to the celebra-
ther unknown, are overwelmed by new expansions, tion of the passage from life to death is a common
but architecture require of conservation will have di- feature – which explains the accuracy of the funeral
499
gifts and symbols- . with the preservation of the buildings.
With the exception of mausoleums dedicated to di- Unfortunately, the mapping can be tricky and inde-
stinguished people, memorial buildings are usually finite, because of the complexity of the settlements,
gathered in specific locations, such as necropolises where elements such as the urban scale fencing of
– the town of the dead – or in cemeteries – resting the cemetery and the microarchitecture of each indi-
places. vidual tomb differ greatly in dimensions. This com-
These places have always functioned both as cultu- plexity is reflected in the managing, which inevitably
rally related gatherings and practically useful sites. affects the general maintenance of the monuments.
They guarantee the health of the living, thanks to the Luckily, in the past few years, there has been a re-
appliance of specific standards, together with the born concern for these structures; this renewed ar-
respect for the dead. These standards and norms chitectural and urban requalification will affect the
are reflected in the architecture of these areas, in surrounding suburbs too.
the presence of many valuable objects and in the
symbolic richness. Which is why, nowadays, ceme- The research that has been carried out on the Villet-
teries can be considered open-air museums. ta cemetery in Parma, a monument so unique and
The high level of formality in funerary architecture is important, constitutes a very interesting example
very peculiar for its implicit tendency to raise monu- thanks to the tools and the planning of the work that
ments (rather than mere tombs) in honour of the de- lead to the drawing of a very efficient Informative Sy-
ceased. Particular attention is given to the building of stem. This research showed a multiplicity of scales
the sepulchres; these burial chambers are perceived and elements that allowed this study to be an exam-
as the final unworldly residence in which the memo- ple for any future work of this kind.
ry of the departed is kept alive. These conceptual The Villetta cemetery is the main funerary settlement
elements gather together to explain the aim that lies of Parma and it represents one of the most valuable
within all funerary monuments. Every cemetery con- monuments of the city; the cemetery is characterised
stitutes an extremely valuable artistic/architectonic by many historically rich artefacts, it owns a great
heritage, it functions as the main gathering point for amount of valuable local documentation collected
the community thanks to the assembling of both re- from the 19th century throughout the 20th century.
ligious and laic individuals, and, last but not least, it Thanks to a debate that took place during Napole-
contains a concentrate of the main local traditions on’s empire, illuminists obtained to ban burials within
and history. the walls of the city for health and hygiene reasons
The quantity and the amount of heritage shouldn’t be .The general planning and the site choice date back
the main concern, as cemeteries do not differ from to a debate of the previous century, the original dra-
the other buildings of the past: the showpieces can wings and essay are still available .
be more or less extensive, more or less significant, Inside the Octagon there are more than 600 tombs
more or less important for the arts, more or less loved and 400 family aedicules, numerous chapels inside
by the people; nevertheless, they will always repre- the porch galleries and together with the tombs in
sent the mutual respect of the community towards its the walls and the undergrounds there’s an overall of
lost ones and a concrete memory of its history. 1.485 units, many of which are extremely valuable.
All cemeteries represent the mutual identifying ele- Altogether the research carried out can be divided
ment of a society, they’re unique monuments and in two branches: 1)the collection of the data, which
they should be preserved and respected as much as consists in the comparison of the paper plans with
any privileged historical documents. They should be the actual units; 2)the organisation of a georeferen-
protected (which rarely happens), even when it me- ced database, allowing different format files to be
ans jeopardising the urban development; too many integrated in a common ( and therefore easily acces-
funerary structures have already been englobed du- sible) digital architectural scheme.
ring the expansion of the suburbs. Many interesting documents regarding the artefacts
Another positive aspect of the cemetery is the pos- and the activities of local artists are still available in
sibility to keep its function intact, following the due the archives. This documentation also deals with re-
changes of new standards that took place in Europe gulations, cessions and juridical state of the proper-
thanks to the Illuminist current which believed in the ties. The building was considered a condominium
replacing of the burials from inside to outside the city. good, where private properties, rented and perpetual
With the cemetery being a miniature scale of the city, allotments coexisted.
reproducing its developing process and presenting The cemetery takes its name from the Villa that was
the same managing issues, it is easy to gather that previously built on the site. The villa and the fenced
the conservation and valorisation strategies should farm around it were owned by the Jesuits; the con-
consequentially be similar too. The main focus ne- struction works had been planned by the council en-
eds to be the functionality of the structures (including gineer G. Cocconelli. It was built between 1819 and
changes to respect the new standards of health and 1823 on behalf of Napoleon’s wife Maria Luigia of
safety) and in some cases its planning could contrast Hapsburg, Duchess of Parma. This project directly
500
involved all citizens – in respect of the social hierar- The services are located along the perimeter: the
chy - , following the example of what had been done mortuary and the oratory in line with the entrance.
with the “Teatro Regio ” (Royal Theatre). Any main- The internal area, divided in four fields, was desti-
tenance or repair expense was also shared between ned to public entombments and to the individual mo-
the Council and the citizens. numents located to the sides of the main avenue.
The original structure recalls the neoclassical tra- Different functions for the four triangular areas: the
dition; Maria Luigia chose this path for many of the charnel house, the non-catholic cemeteries, people
representative buildings that she ordered during her sentenced to death and the suicides close to the exe-
time. cutioner and his family, and lastly the children who
The constructing rules were founded on symmetry were born dead or who died before being baptised.
giving a geometrically neat final look, where eve- These four angular sectors were finished by 1856,
rything is determined. Both areas and objects reveal but in 1864 the Hebrews sector required enlarging.
themselves as definite in this complex. The system The expansion of the cemetery started in the last
follows the human and urban hierarchies and re- quarter of the 19th century with the addition of two
spects their values: a city in the city where the physi- twin galleries for the burial of more tombs; the base
cal and typological divisions of the architecture follow is Latin cross shaped and the galleries are accessi-
those of the “living” society, and where the burials ble from two gaps in the central arches of their por-
are located according to the class, the religion and ches. The South Gallery , built between 1876 and
the death circumstances of the deceased. 1884, is neoclassical, with lowered barrel shaped ar-
The fencing is square shaped on the outside and oc- ches, whilst the North Gallery – influenced by inno-
tangular in the inside – a usual layout in the symbolic vative projects of 1880, and later of 1893 – was built
language of urban architecture - , the crypts are kept by Sante Bergamaschi between 1898 and 1905,
inside a perimetrical porch of 156 spans; each crypt with square shaped arches and eclectic stylistic ele-
is able to host more than 50 tombs; the project was ments. The initial intention was to reserve this area
destined to religious and laic confraternities, nobles as the “famedio” (Fame Temple) for distinguished
and private lettings. The archways, completed in citizens.
1862, were built directly on behalf of the owners fol- The use of the two fields adjacent to the two main
lowing a common architectural plan, whilst the inter- galleries dates back to the beginning of 900 , and
nal decorations – subject to the approval of a chosen in 1921 the cemetery was enlarged by including the
committee – were free, minding that the passage Cinghio area and the raising of The South –East Gal-
along the porch wouldn’t be compromised. lery. The new porch in the Perimetrical Gallery was
built between 1931 and 1935; this area hosts the fe-
retory dedicated to the ones lost during the First and
the Second World War.
The most ancient tombs, still visible in the central
field, date back to 1830; nevertheless in the 20th
century it became popular to start building family ae-
dicules. In the period of time between 1925 and 1940
the concentration of construction works increased,
funding the building of the Northern Porch thanks to
the ground licensing fees paid by the privates.
Padre Lino’s Cloister (Padre Lino was a Franciscan
chaplain who worked in the prison for many years)
was built in 1947 in the corner that had already been
destined to prisoners and suicides.
501
also a collection of architectonical remarks divided version of the Informative System mentioned above.
by units, dimension, relevancy, with different scales We do not believe the museum should be a virtual
according to the size. This project involved a thorou- visit to the cemetery, which is why any three-dimen-
gh scanning work, constituting a great knowledge for sional, iconographic, visual material would only be
architecture and allowing new generations to deepen descriptive, it would merely help the visitor to fully
and enrich the work that already exists. understand the cemetery architecture and symbolo-
GIS and Arcview software, used to develop this gy, encouraging to personally visit the structure.
project, constitute the best lens to render on screen Initially, the project will count an altogether of
the dimensional and scale complexity of cemeteri- 700/1000 images, around 100.000 text digits and the
es. They are the best software available to visually possibility of adding specific sections such as sculp-
simplify the complicated relationship between these tures and applied arts, hence, the structure should
miniature scale cities and the real thing. be built to allow future additions and enrichments.
The possibility of adopting an Informative System Macromedia Dream-weaver and similar software will
able to scan the structures presents a great advanta- be used to create the websites, whilst the documen-
ge, as it allows projections and editing to be open for tation already collected will be converted into digital
future projects; it also allows new data to be entered format suitable to be added in a HTML structure; this
and to fill the system in with any new remarks and interactive database will contain objects descrip-
juridical updates. The aim is to create a digital ceme- tions, pictures, copied documents and critical com-
terial cadastre, which will allow the management and mentaries.This new database of selected objects will
the future planning to run smoothly. only contain the more relevant material allowing the
Informative System to be lighter and more accessi-
Conclusions ble to the viewer, accomplishing its promotional aim.
Unfortunately, the mere acknowledgment of this in-
formation isn’t sufficient to grant the preservation of References
this cultural heritage. The importance of these histo- Ragon M., L’espace de la mort – Essai sur l’archi-
rical monuments needs to be popularised, citizens tecture, la decoration e l’urbanisme funéraires, Albin
need to become aware of the issue and the commu- Michel, Paris, 1981
nity should be more involved with such a valuable Colvin H., Architecture and the after-life, Yale Univer-
artistic monument. sity Press, New haven and London, 1991
Because of its characteristics and the information A.A. V.V., Monumets de memoire, M.P.C.I.H., Paris,
contained, this new Informative System cannot be 1991
destined to the general public, however, it represents
a valuable source for professionals and experts such
as the cemetery managing offices, restorers and
academics researching this kind of field.
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