Interpretations of the past: a discussion on the theories of interpreting architectural history and the role of historiography in the restoration of the Castelvecchio Castle by Carlo Scarpa

Abstract

My motivation for researching the study of interpreting history grew from my interest in the Italian architect Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978). Of particular interest to me was his restoration work on the Castelvecchio castle of Verona, Italy. It was a project that over two periods dominated eighteen years of Scarpa's life from 1957 to 1964 and from 1967 to 1978. Castelvecchio intrigues me with its beauty, historicity and in the exciting way Scarpa restored and added to it. Having read and heard about it and seen slides and photos, questions as to how Scarpa approached the issues of restoration, and redefinition of meanings of ancient architecture came to the fore. This kindled the beginnings of my research of the theory of interpreting historical architecture. My aim was ultimately to set up an intellectual approach to restoration, based on my understanding and my views, through this research. Firstly, I looked briefly at the history and development of the theory of interpreting history; and secondly, I looked directly at the theory of architectural historiography. I could then return to the Castelvecchio armed with a greater understanding of the theories and issues in this area for an interpretative enquiry of Scarpa's approach to restorative architectural design. The structuring of this paper is based on this sequence of enquiry.