Still on Cesare Brandi and architecture: the preservation of built heritage and the reflection on theoretical and methodological principles in the disciplinary field of restoration

Abstract

Insisting on the importance of reflecting on the act of designing interventions in pre-existing structures of recognized heritage value, this article proposes an initial investigation into Cesare Brandi’s contributions beyond his well-known Teoria del Restauro (1963), focusing particularly on his relationship with architecture. This engagement can be understood as an initial step, given the vast body of work by and about this author. The article seeks a first approach to two books that are largely unknown in the Brazilian academic context: Eliante o della Architectura (1957), a publication preceding Brandi’s theory and oriented toward architectural discourse, and Il Patrimonio insidiato: scritti sulla tutela del paesaggio e dell’arte (2001), which compiles a series of short articles originally published in widely circulated Italian newspapers, especially the traditional Milanese newspaper Corriere della Sera. The study operates under the assumption that the theoretical and methodological principles of the disciplinary field of restoration constitute an essential toolkit for addressing contemporary preservation challenges, provided they are understood in light of the specificities of each site, the diverse values attributed by different stakeholders, the cultural context in which it is embedded, and —no less importantly—the understanding of theory (or theories) in their potential for project-based operationalization, in which subjectivity is inherent to preservation practice. Rather than assuming the inapplicability of Brandi’s principles to architecture —a recurring critique in the field— this article argues for renewed critical engagement. Current discourse often seems to suffer from a kind of fearful paralysis to examine restoration as a design practice, one that, instead of fostering dialogue and critical scrutiny, rejects it on principle and without deeper investigation. This perception led us to propose a reexamination of Cesare Brandi’s thought within a rigorous and contextually grounded framework.