Restauri storici tra riconoscimenti e negazioni nell’interpretazione del Patrimonio Mondiale. Spunti e confronti a partire dal Percorso arabo-normanno di Palermo

Abstract

How do restorations affect the recognition of monuments' values? The evaluation of the latter has been decisive in the inclusion/exclusion of some historical buildings in the UNESCO World Heritage. In particular, in the Dossier of candidacy of the so-called "Arab-Norman itinerary of Palermo" some monuments were excluded due to the restorations conducted between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. But many other "Arab-Norman" monuments in Palermo were also restored, as the Churches of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, called Martorana and San Cataldo, included instead in the itinerary. Moreover, there are many monuments that, despite having undergone substantial restorations in style – think of the Alhambra palace in Granada or the fortified city of Carcassonne just to give examples – are part of the UNESCO heritage. This makes us reflect on the interpretation of the concept of authenticity and also how and why the outcome of historical restorations in style are sometimes considered compromising and other times accepted as an integral part of the monument itself.