Heritage protection and reconstruction during and after the Spanish Civil War: Lessons from the First World War, lessons for the Second World War (original) (raw)
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Imbued with a message from the past, the historic monuments of generations of people remain to the present day as living witnesses of their age-old traditions. People are becoming more and more conscious of the unity of human values and regard ancient monuments as a common heritage. The common responsibility to safeguard them for future generations is recognized. It is our duty to hand them on in the full richness of their authenticity.
'The Venice Charter Revisited' book review, Context 117, 11 2010
Context , 2010
Fundamentalism, wherever it occurs, is a recipe for intolerance and confrontation. John Betjeman, writing in 1933, coincidentally the year of the modernist Charte d’Athènes, asserted: ‘Every style of architecture lies open to our choice, and there is no prima facie reason why one should be preferred to another’. In 2005, however, the UNESCO Vienna Memorandum, seduced by a limited definition of the word contemporary, insisted that ‘contemporary architecture and preservation of the historic urban landscape should avoid all forms of pseudo-historical design, as they constitute a denial of both the historical and the contemporary alike.’ International conservation manifestos, charters and associated documents are a minefield of inconsistencies and contradictions. The 1982 ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) GDR Declaration of Dresden, for example, champions the spiritual and symbolic values implicit in the faithful reconstruction of monuments destroyed by war. That approach continues to be practised in cities across Germany and, most recently, in the rebuilding of Vilnius castle, even after extended lapses in time and interim structures on their sites. Further, the 1999 ICOMOS Cultural Tourism Charter interprets authenticity in new developments to embrace the recognition of local architectural styles, vernacular traditions, and the use of local materials.
Venice at 60: Article 5 and the Acceptable Limits of Use
Protection of Cultural Heritage, 2024
The Venice Charter is central to modern conservation, and foundational for ICOMOS specifically; yet its contemporary relevance is debatable. These and other issues were discussed by ICOMOS in Budapest 20 years ago, in a conference marking the Charter’s 40th anniversary. However, questions remain as to its ongoing significance. As Bogusław Szmygin asked in 2004, does the Charter remain the ‘Decalogue' of the conservation discipline, or has it itself become a ‘Historical Monument’? The Venice Charter as a product of high modernity, with its belief in a definitive break with the past and an overcoming of tradition. The paper assesses the Charter’s ongoing relevance in relation to one pressing issue in contemporary conservation, the limits to the acceptable use of – and change to – historic buildings (Art. 5), and using an example of recent change to an English parish church. The paper argues that the acknowledged need for the interpretation of the Charter requires a hermeneutically literate approach which acknowledges the limits of a scientific/technical reading of any historic monument – the Charter included – and the importance of a dynamic understanding of the living tradition that is conservation. It concludes that the Charter remains a central text for the conservation discipline, which itself is a tradition in good health, and for that very reason its status will continue to be fiercely debated.
Deconsecrating a Doctrinal Monument: Raymond M. Lemaire and the Revisions of the Venice Charter
Change Over Time, 2014
Considering himself as the “main author” of the charter, Raymond M. Lemaire has been one of the first, together with Piero Gazzola, to plead for a revision of the document. As early as 1971, the two men, respectively first Secretary General and President of ICOMOS, tended to launch a debate in favour of a better consideration of the social value of heritage, and the development of specific principles for historical cities conservation, to be included in the Venice charter. Lemaire’s recent experience in that field had indeed convinced him that, contrary to the assertion of article 14, “a literal application of principles valid for monuments, considered as such, is not always possible, nor desirable, for the ensembles”. The adoption of the Amsterdam declaration didn’t put an end to his efforts. Despite his unsuccessful attempt to get a revised version approved by the ICOMOS General assembly in Moscow (1978), R.M.Lemaire always remained critical towards the charter and the application of its principles in the field, underlining, in the eighties, its shortcomings in terms of cultural diversity and, in one of his last texts, in 1996, the negative effect of article 9, leading to the idea that “the mere essence of a conservation operation is a modernist intervention on the edifice or neighbourhood”.
Rethinking the Venice Charter: Towards an inclusive approach to global heritage conservation
ICOMOS-Portugual , 2024
The Venice Charter represents a cornerstone document in the realm of heritage conservation. The emphasis with the Charter on physical evidence and material heritage tied to Western traditions has increasingly been recognized by scholars as a Euro-centric paradigm and has faced criticism in recent times. In response to the challenges of adapting to greater diversity and inclusivity, international principles are beginning to shift, recognizing the need to incorporate values from other cultural traditions. This shift allowed for a broader understanding of marginalized groups and communities in the global South, reshaping key concepts in international principles. However, tensions persist between international guidelines and local traditions, as well as between authorized discourses and marginalized expressions. There are huge gaps between the intent of international policies and the realities of local contexts. Globalization might perpetuate extreme forms of sameness and fundamentalism. As Herb Stovel (2008) questioned, is there a possibility of defining a universal principle based on the core values of conservation practice, while avoiding the fragmentation of cultural values and the denial of non-central, incongruent communities? This essay will analyse several Asian cases with a focus on Chinese context. It will illustrate how Chinese regulations for safeguarding heritage have been influenced by the Venice Charter and how the understanding of Chinese traditions can contribute to the Charter’s response to contemporary challenges. Existed documents like the China Principles (2000), Shanghai Charter (2002), and Xi'an Declaration (2005) represent adaptations in community-centric, spiritually-aware, intangible-focused, and relative authenticity-driven ideas. Unlike the cult of material-based authenticity, or the uniqueness of works of art in the Western world, heritage in China places a greater emphasis on immaterial components. Function and spirit are prioritized in preference to physical objects. Conservation in China frequently leads to common practices of transformation, to renew and even to reconstruct. As the Nara Document on Authenticity (1994) has cautiously opened the way to a culture-based appreciation of conservation values and expanded the definition of “authenticity”, a deeper understanding of Chinese perceptions on heritage may lead to new inspirations for international principles.
VENICE as a World Heritage Site
Due to the particular location in the Lagoon and the fact that the city is built on wooden piles to solidify the marshy foundation, Venice is a fragile environment to protect. The city, which is composed of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges, represents a beautiful example of combining aesthetic taste with engineering skills, housing architectural beauties and marvellous Masterpieces. During the flourishing years when Venice was a centre for culture and commerce, it was the home of artists such as Bellini, Giorgione, Tiziano, Tintoretto, and Veronese.