Part Two: Five Case Studies (Rome, Athens, Durham, Magdeburg, Vézelay)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
J. Jokilehto, A History of Architectural Conservation D. Phil Thesis, University of York, 1986 Part Two: Five Case Studies (Rome, Athens, Durham, Magdeburg, Vézelay) Page 122 J. Jokilehto Chapter Eight Case Study: Italy, Restoration in Rome 8.1 Conservation in the Papal States, 1800- The Camera Apostolica, the Papal government, 1809 had two departments that had special responsibilities regarding the conservation of cultural property. After the Papal States were restored to the Pope One was the so called Camerlengato, the general with the withdrawal of the French in 1799, Pius VII administration of Papal States. Its director was called (1800-1823) arrived in Rome to assume the throne of the Camerlengo. This office was responsible, among St. Peter in June 1800. His first concern was to re- other duties, for the general legislation, inspection establish the Papal administration; special emphasis and evaluation of antiquities and works of art. The was given to improved protection for the antiquities Inspector of Fine Arts and the Commissioner of and works of art that had suffered during the French Antiquities were nominated by the Camerlengo. domination. There had been several edicts in the past The other office responsible for conservation was to protect them and control their exportation (e.g. the Treasury, under the direction of the Chief 1624, 1646, 1717, 1726, 1733, 1750). (1) However, Treasurer. His duties covered the financial aspects these had not been efficiently enforced and with and corresponding legislative acts, as well as the the impoverishment of the Papal States, the sale of execution of works. These included excavation, art collections to foreigners had become common. restoration and maintenance of ancient monuments. Licenses were acquired rather easily, the percentage The Treasury had under it a commission, called the charged on the value of the object only encouraged Consiglio d’arte, and architect inspectors, who were the practice, and the Commissioner, who had almost responsible for the projects and supervision of work. no assistance, was not able to control the traffic. (2) This division of responsibility for conservation between two departments caused various problems Organization and Legislation of interpretation. The Camerlengato was to decide During the early part of the nineteenth century, what works were to be done; the Treasury had to care there was particular concern for the value of cultural for the rest, allowing the Camerlengato, however, to property, partly because of the development of new check that the conceptual basis for the project and artistic theories and concepts, partly because of the quality in the execution corresponded to their the recent losses of works of art. The Secretary of requirements. Cost control was considered necessary State was Cardinal Ercole Consalvi (1757-1824), a so as to guarantee the continuation of funds. (3). liberal statesman and a patron of arts and sciences. In the execution of the works, the Treasury relied Cardinal Giuseppe Doria-Pamphili, the head of the on members and professors of the Accademia di San Camerlengato, was responsible for the administration Luca. This institution, founded in 1593, had great and cultural affairs, and Cardinal Alessandro Lante was prestige and influence, and its members were selected the chief treasurer; all were members of distinguished from leading artists in Italy and abroad, from Rubens Roman families. Furthermore, in 1801 the lawyer and and Bernini to Winckelmann. Those most involved arcaheologixt Carlo Fea (1753-1836) was nominated in the conservation of ancient monuments were Commissioner of Antiquities, and, the following year, Giuseppe Camporesi (1736-1822), Raffaele Stern the famous neo-classical sculptor Antonio Canova (1774-1820) and Giuseppe Valadier (1762-1839). (1757-1822) was nominated Inspector of Fine Arts. Camporesi was made responsible for the inspection All worked together to provide a theoretical and legal of ancient monuments in 1803. (4) He also worked basis for the protection of monuments and works of as the architectural director of the excavations in the art. A History of Architectural Conservation Page 123 Forum. Later, in 1818, Valadier was given a similar that it was impossible to set a price on an ancient appointment. All three were nominated for specific monument. He praised the Vivaldi family, who gave restoration projects. Valadier, however, became their property of the Mausoleum of Augustus to the the leading architect not only in restoration, but in State, asking for compensation only on the modern contemporary, neoclassical, architecture as well. (5) structures and nothing on the monument itself. The contrary happened in the case of the Pantheon and The Papal Chirograph of the first of October in the house of the Crescentii (near Santa Maria in 1802, signed by Cardinal Doria Pamphili, became Cosmedin), where the owners insisted on their rights the basic law for the protection of cultural property in the ancient structures. In the law, consequently, all in this period. It was revised in 1820 by Cardinal antique objects and works of art were required to be Pacca, but its principles remained unchanged until registered with the State (9). All objects were divided superseded by the laws of the United Kingdom of into categories and subcategories including: any Italy after 1870s. The author of this edict was Carlo human or animal figures in marble or other material, Fea (1753-1836), a lawyer and priest who had studied antique paintings, mosaics or other coloured works, the history of Papal legislation and who had a special vases, gems, inscriptions and even simple fragments, interest in archaeology. He had translated the works in fact anything that could be called “antiquity”. of Winckelmann and Mengs into Italian, and had Architectural elements and ornaments such as written a dissertation on the history of the destruction columns, capitals, architraves, and various types of of ancient monuments in Rome. (6) The introduction stones were also included. Paintings on canvas or on to the edict was written by Cardinal Doria-Pamphili wood, either by classical artists or by their schools, himself. The edict referred consciously to earlier that could be of value, were added to this list of legislation, such as Cum Almam Nostram Urbem objects that could not be exported from the Papal by Pius II in 1462 against destruction of ancient States and were subject to registration. Licences, monuments, and Quam provida by Sixtus IV in 1474, when they were given, were free of charge in order to which prohibited the removal of antique or otherwise avoid corruption. valuable elements or objects from churches. Of the more recent laws, the new edict mentioned that of The general principle was to conserve the 1750 made under Benedict XIV. (7) The aim of monuments in their original places. This included, the edict was to guarantee conservation of ancient for example, keeping paintings in the churches, monuments and works of art. This was clearly from which they could be removed only with special expressed in the introduction which listed the permission, even for purposes of restoration or advantages in the following lines: “These precious copying. Fea had bitter fights when trying to enforce remains of Antiquity give to the city of Rome an this principle, because priests often wanted to raise ornament that distinguishes her among all the most income from collectors by selling a master’s original famous cities of Europe. They provide important painting and replacing it with a copy. Rich collectors, subjects for the meditation of Scholars as well as such as the English banker, Sir Hans Sloane were able most valuable models for Artists to inspire them to find ways to export objects. In fact, Sloane was with ideas of the Beautiful and the Sublime. They brought to court because of illegal exportation and attract to this city foreigners who delight in studying was fined, but the objects were already abroad. The these unique Rarities. They will give employment integrity of historic buildings was not easily guarded. to many occupied in the field of Fine Arts, and In the recent past, it had been common practice to finally the new products that come from their hands reuse elements from other buildings for new projects. will promote a branch of commercial and industrial Architects were still doing this even now. Stern, for activities. More than anything, this last will be useful example, had great respect for ancient monuments to the public and to the State.” (8) but intended, nonetheless, to use old columns from a church in his plan for the museum Chiaramonti. (10) Thus, ancient monuments and works of art were Papal museums were allowed a fixed annual budget considered the pride of Rome, giving it a unique for the acquisition of objects for their collections in position in Europe and attracting scholars and artists, compensation for the losses. For the same reason, promoting tourism, commerce and industry. All this excavations were encouraged, in the belief that was badly needed in this period of economic and there were still treasures underground. However, political difficulties. all excavations, whether on public or private land, The edict emphasized the public character of were strictly licenced and directly controlled by ancient monuments and works of art. Fea’s idea was Page 124 J. Jokilehto the Inspector of Fine Arts and the Commissioner of both in legislation and in practical execution, and as Antiquities. a result work was generally limited to the minimum necessary to conserve a monument; in the case of the Antonio Canova Colosseum, for example, restoration was not the aim, Antonio Canova was born in the village of Possagno but conservation of all ancient fragments as part of and studied in Venice and Rome. He became the the authentic historic monument. leading neoclassical sculptor - rivalled only by Houdon and Thorvaldsen - and was considered Restoration and Conservation in Practice by his contemporaries to be equal to the ancients Excavations had already been common practice - “the inimitable sculptor, equal to Phidias and in and around Rome for many centuries; the recent Praxiteles”.