Copyright by Ilan Vit 2012 The Dissertation Committee for Ilan Vit Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Heritage Revisited: An Examination of the Built Environment's Historiography, Preservation, and Meaning Committee: Christopher A. Long, Supervisor Michael Holleran, Co-Supervisor Miroslava M. Benes Richard L. Cleary Danilo F. Udovicki Rabun M. Taylor Heritage Revisited: An Examination of the Built Environment's Historiography, Preservation, and Meaning. by Ilan Vit, Titulo de Arquitecto; Maestro. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2012 Dedication This work has grown out of Love, from those who came before, and Hope, for those still to come. It is dedicated to my parents, Laura & Pedro, in gratitude for their unconditional support and loving care. They have given me life, more than once. May this work be a testimony to their kind effort! Acknowledgements This work benefitted from the richness of innumerable conversations, thoughtful suggestions, and outstanding courses experienced during my graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin. There were several professors whose knowledge and friendship encouraged the pursuit of this work. First are those involved in the direction and reading of this manuscript: Christopher A. Long, Michael Holleran, Miroslava M. Benes, Richard L. Cleary, Danilo F. Udovicki, and Rabun Taylor. To each of them I owe the manifold expansion of my horizon: Chris helped me see the beauty of simplicity and clarity; Michael, the richness of preservation; Mirka shared her love for the Rome of Galileo and Borromini; Richard encoraged me to face modernity, head on; Danilo opened up the path for communicative action; and Rabun has taught me the precision of archaeology. This work would be nothing, without them. I also want to thank my dear friend Juan Miró, for the wonderful adventures and sites we visited together in the good company of his students and family. My years at Austin were encouraged by his unconditional support and friendship. Finally, there were other professors at UT, whose courses changed my understanding of the world. I am grateful for their vision, especially Thomas Pangle, Jim Hankinson, Bob Paterson, Fred Valdez, and David Stuart. This work was also instigated by the thoughtful and intimate relationships with professors, friends, and collaborators, back home in Mexico, especially Rogelio Rivero Chong, María Teresa Uriarte, Rubén Cabrera, Raúl Salas, Hugo Arciniega, Guillermo Bonfil, Luciano Cedillo, Cristobal Rendón, Xavier Hierro, Guillermo Espinosa, Pablo Rodríguez, Gil Carpinteiro, Miguel Muñoz, Jaime Moreras, Aurelio Nuño, Axel Arañó, José Miguel González, Roberto Rojas, Isaac Broid, Humberto Ricalde, and Carlos Mijares. Thank you all! v Heritage Revisited: An Examination of the Built Environment's Historiography, Preservation, and Meaning. Publication No._____________ Ilan Vit, PhD The University of Texas at Austin, 2011 Supervisor: Christopher A. Long Co-Supervisor: Michael Holleran The aim of this work is to understand how certain public buildings play an essential role in the evolution of cultural identity over time. Its main approach distinguishes the denotation of tangible heritage from the connotation of its intangible counterpart. These terms are not understood through semiotics, but, through phenomenology. In other words, meaning is not transmitted by an object; it is adjudicated by a subject. In this sense, the phenomenological experience of such buildings is divided in two: perception brings forth an initial denotation of some universal validity; while memories and dreams engender connotations that are rooted in specific spatiotemporal conditions. In this model, denotation stems from the tangible aspects of heritage, while connotation grows from its intangible dimension. To examine the interaction of these components over time, three case studies are surveyed: Rome's Pantheon, Teotihuacan's Sun Pyramid, and Granada's Alhambra. Their examination begins with an analysis of their basic, primordial denotation, as "centers of power." This type of analysis is followed vi by a condensed history, which identifies the physical transformations that each building experienced over time. Lastly, a series of context companions present a horizon of expectations, from which multiple users at a given time may have received inspiration to elaborate different connotations of meaning. These sections are portrayed as "glimpses" of intellectual history and literary criticism. Their approach is mostly driven by Wilhelm Dilthey's theory of worldviews and Hans Robert Jauss's reception theory. Each case study suggests a different characterization of an overall historical outcome, associated with the cultural evolution of specific groups: the Pantheon reflects some sense of continuity, for Western Civilization; the Sun Pyramid conveys an overwhelming sense of loss, for Mesoamerica; and Alhambra displays a pervasive sense of exclusion, for al-Andalus. The spirit behind these characterizations strives to understand the modalities in which heritage and cultural identity are shaped by the passage of time. Its goal is to increase our awareness about the fragility of the intangible heritage, when it is separated from its tangible substrate. vii Table of Contents List of Figures ..........................................................................................................x INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................1 ROME'S PANTHEON ................................................................................................27 Part I: Condensed History ....................................................................................27 A Homage to the Gens Iulia..........................................................................33 A Temple to All the Gods ............................................................................38 Sancta Maria ad Martyres ............................................................................47 A New Iconography .....................................................................................53 A Vision of Perfection .................................................................................59 Bernini's Restoration ....................................................................................66 The Attic's Alteration ...................................................................................72 The Monument's Isolation ...........................................................................78 Modern Conservation ...................................................................................86 Part II: Context Companion .................................................................................92 A Private Shrine ............................................................................................97 An Imperial Temple ....................................................................................106 A Catholic Church .....................................................................................119 TEOTIHUACAN'S SUN PYRAMID ...........................................................................132 Part I: Condensed History ..................................................................................132 A Mesoamerican Sanctuary ........................................................................136 A Burnt Relic .............................................................................................164 A Mythic Realm .........................................................................................167 A Dormant Mountain .................................................................................178 A Modern Ruin ..........................................................................................189 A Resurgent Shrine ....................................................................................195 viii Part II: Context Companion ...............................................................................198 The Dictator's Pyramid ...............................................................................207 The State's Pyramid ....................................................................................215 The People's Pyramid .................................................................................227 GRANADA'S ALHAMBRA .......................................................................................238 Part I: Condensed History ..................................................................................238 A Rebel's Stronghold ..................................................................................241 A Minister's Residence ..............................................................................246 A Sultan's Palace ........................................................................................254 An Emperor's Illusion ................................................................................282 A Soldier's Garrison ...................................................................................288 An Architect's Masterpiece .........................................................................294 Part II: Context Companion ...............................................................................306