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Revolutionary Restorations

The dry subject of historical restorations is not as immediately important as, say, the wine you order with dinner. Unless, of course, you're an archeologist, an architect, or perhaps a historian. Visitors sometimes wonder why the interior of the Zisa, a Norman-Arab palace completed in the twelfth century in what was then a park outside Palermo, is full of a strange brickwork so dissimilar to the original stone. In Italy, as elsewhere, the whole subject has to do with the law. A preservation ordinance of the Ministry of Cultural Assets (Beni Culturali) dictates, if that is the right word, that the restored portion of a historical building must be easily distinguished from the original structure. This is understandable, perhaps even natural, but in other nations (France and Germany come to mind) such laws are administered differently. Some attempt is made to make the restored wall resemble the original.

The Zisa, like other Sicilian buildings from the Middle Ages, was restructured extensively in the centuries intervening between the Norman era and ours. Stucco and plaster were coated over brick, and several walls were actually removed. In Palermo, several medieval churches, particularly San Cataldo and the Magione, suffered a similar fate. They were restored to their original lustre after the Second World War. The Zisa, instead, was a private residence for centuries.

The interpretation of the historic preservation statutes has evolved somewhat over the years. The Steri Castle, also in Palermo, was restored in the 1970's in a manner more in keeping with its original form. The new stonework resembles the original stone. The Monastery of Montecassino, in south-central Italy, was almost completely destroyed in the War but its restoration, too, is a faithful one. The same thing cannot be said of the recent restoration of the Cathedral of Cefalù. Apart from the unsightly modern colored glass windows (with abstract patterns) placed in the nave, the external modifications to the apse, with white stucco placed over vast areas where stone was formerly visible, is absolutely sinful.

What is beyond dispute is that many restorations should have been contemplated with greater care. At Agrigento, in the nineteenth century, an attempt was made to re-assemble a corner of the ancient Temple of Castor and Pollux, the "Dioscuri" (shown above), using existing material strewn about. Something was created using mortar and concrete, substances not employed in the original 5th century BC construction. The gods only know what Empedocles would have thought of this. At all events, the assembly of Greek temples from disparate pieces is a constant temptation to archeological architects. This is theoretically possible, but some of the original pieces have become weathered, worn or broken over the centuries and are no longer suitable for the construction.

If this author were to have her way, the Zisa and other structures of its period would be reconstructed more closely to their original forms, which are known. Unsightly stucco and gesso would be removed unless it were present at the beginning. That, however, is not consistent with the current Italian strategy. Clearly, restoration philosophy differs from country to country, person to person. In the end, it is important that the Zisa and other buildings exist in tact for us to visit.

by Marianna Messina. © 2002 Simply Sicily.