PREMI
I nostri angeli custodi
LUCA CARRA

L’INTERVISTA
Angelo Cambiano: “Ho fatto solo il mio dovere”
LEANDRO JANNI

IL RITRATTO
Zanotti Bianco: un apostolo laico della libertà
VITTORIO EMILIANI

DOSSIER ATTACCO AI CENTRI STORICI
Scempi italiani
ETTORE MARIA MAZZOLA

Il quartiere Coppedè e il villino abbattuto
ALESSANDRO CREMONA

Cosenza: si ripristini il centro invece di demolirlo
LUIGI DE FALCO

Vimercate tra tutela e pianificazione
ROSSELLA MOIOLI

Italia Nostra premia un docufilm su Porto Torres
MARIA PAOLA MORITTU

L’INTERVISTA
Paesaggio, volto della nostra patria interiore
MARIA ROSARIA IACONO

PAESAGGIO
Una foto, un caso

Alberi di troppo
ORESTE RUTIGLIANO

Perugia: riconquistare panorami perduti
LUIGI FRESSOIA

LA LISTA ROSSA
La fontana “Madre di Dio” a Buscemi
LILIANA GISSARA – SEZIONE DI SIRACUSA

LA MOSTRA
Caravaggio senza segreti
MARIA GRAZIA VERNUCCIO

IL CASO
Crotone 1975-2017: due generazioni a confronto
TERESA LIGUORI

Il trucco dell’allontanamento delle grandi navi da Venezia
LIDIA FERSUOCH

Il ricordo: Massimo Quaini, la lezione di un uomo mite
GIOVANNA FAZIO

DALL’EUROPA
Premio europeo per il patrimonio a progetti italiani
ROSSANA BETTINELLI

L'articolo Italia Nostra 496 ott-dic 2017 proviene da Gangemi.

The città felice is not only the fabled but partially built city described in the Renaissance treatise. It can be realized by the persistent will to integrate the highest civic ideas with the will to integrate with nature and with regional architectural characters and materials.

L'articolo San Giorgio a Liri proviene da Gangemi.

L'articolo Barletta proviene da Gangemi.

There are places where natural form and urban form reciprocally enhance each other. Artena has embodied such a successful conformation revealing the mythic image of a city embracing the hill, where Santa Croce’s bell towers are the only architectural elements that detach themselves from the urban fabric to accentuate this remarkable landscape. These are modern traditional buildings, to be raised with an eager sensibility through the site, the typologies and the harmonization between architectural character and use.

L'articolo Artena proviene da Gangemi.

Continuity is judiciously approved where architectural production has rationally been proven successful, and change is carefully accepted where and when there is a rational need to depart from a practice that has failed. Such is the rationality of tradition, and this is why the University of Notre Dame teaches traditional architecture as a modern practice.

L'articolo Como proviene da Gangemi.

“Ettore Mazzola observed with righteous indignation that notwithstanding the utter failure of modernism to provide an enduring architecture that serves the Common Good, modernist architects continue with unrepentant arrogance to claim exclusive ownership of the idea of modernity. He adds his voice to those of a multitude of other architects around the world, who, for the past thirty years, have been demonstrating the soundness of modern traditional architecture on ecological, urban and architectural levels”
Samir Younés
Director of Rome Studies University of Notre Dame

ESTRATTI DAL TESTO – EXTRACTS

Non dico un’eresia affermando che oggi, se viaggiando in aereo fossimo costretti ad atterrare a sorpresa in una località diversa da quella programmata, e conseguentemente cercassimo di capire dove ci troviamo guardando gli edifici che ci circondano, non avremmo alcuna possibilità di comprendere in quale angolo del Pianeta Terra siamo arrivati!
Quasi tutto ciò che il XX secolo ha prodotto in Architettura – e che apparentemente il XXI si appresta a produrre – ci appare dannatamente votato ad un carattere temporaneo, figlio della concezione “Futurista” dell’Architettura. Concezione lontanissima dalla volontà della gente comune.
Apparentemente, in questo mondo che ha deciso di perdere la cognizione del tempo correndo ad una velocità superiore alle sue capacità, gli architetti sembrano interessarsi alle sole gratificazioni del momento, con nessun interesse per gli impegni del passato e gli obblighi del futuro … chi pagherà per le loro scelte transitorie?
Apparentemente, contro questo capriccio architettonico della cricca modernista, a nulla valgono le costanti sommosse popolari in occasione dell’apertura di nuovi cantieri: questi architetti, abituati ad autogratificarsi, sono così miopi da non rendersi conto che nei loro confronti la gente prova solo un grande senso di preoccupazione e risentimento.
Se le cose non cambiano, le decisioni di merito sull’Architettura e l’Urbanistica non possono essere affidate al solo architetto, soprattutto alla luce dei risultati di 80 anni di pessima amministrazione – dittatoriale e modernista – che ne ha fatto della cosa!
Volendo analizzare sommariamente il fattore economico dell’edilizia cosiddetta moderna e contemporanea, potremmo limitarci a fare i conti in tasca ai suoi proprietari – pubblici o privati.
Immediatamente potremmo verificare che, già pochi anni dopo l’ultimazione dei lavori – molto prima dell’estinzione del mutuo bancario acceso per l’acquisto – quella gente ignara è stata costretta a spendere nuovamente tanti soldi per restaurare ciò che geneticamente si rifiuta di vivere.
È arduo doversi rassegnare all’idea che, nonostante gli sforzi economici fatti per acquistare la casa, quella non potrà essere tramandata ai propri figli.
Le nostre Facoltà di Architettura hanno accettato l’ignorante scelta di “azzerare la storia”, i nostri insegnanti hanno deciso di non insegnare più l’Architettura in nome di un più proficuo design industriale e, a poco a poco, le nostre maestranze specializzate non hanno più avuto clienti da soddisfare perché non c’erano più architetti in grado di dargli lavoro e, lentamente, sono andate scomparendo.
Oggi tutta questa situazione inizia a minare anche il patrimonio antico, risulta sempre più difficile e costoso trovare del personale in grado di intervenire manualmente per il restauro degli edifici storici e, a meno di un’inversione di tendenza, di un brusco risveglio, anche il nostro tesoro artistico non potrà più essere restaurato. Alla luce di tutto questo mi chiedo: come possiamo parlare di modernità relativamente all’Architettura del secolo appena concluso?

It is not heretical to say that nowadays, if air travelers were forced to make an unscheduled landing in some location that was not their original destination, and tried then to understand where they were by looking at the buildings around them, they would have no way of understanding what corner of the Planet Earth they had reached!
Almost everything the twentieth century has produced in Architecture – and apparently the twenty-first is about to follow suit – seems condemned to assume a temporary character, as a result of the “Futurist” conception on Architecture. Conception is totally divorced from what people want.
Apparently in a world which has decided to abandon any awareness of time racing ahead beyond its own capacities, architects seem interested only in transitory gratifications, with no interest in any commitment toward the past and future obligations… who will pay the price for their ephemeral choices?
Apparently the public outcries when new works are undertaken have no effect against this architectural caprice of the modernist clique: these architects, used to self-gratification, are so short-sighted that they do not realize that people feel only concern about- and resentment toward them.
If things do not change, decisions taken on matters of Architecture and Town Planning cannot be left up to the architect alone, especially in the light of the results over 80 years of terrible – dictatorial and modernist – administration!
If we were briefly to summarize the economic factor of the so-called modern and contemporary building, we could limit ourselves to verifying the public and private accounting.
We will immediately be able to ascertain that just a few years after the works were completed – well before paying off the mortgage – those unsuspecting people were forced to spend a lot of money once more to restore what they would, genetically speaking, refuse to live in.
It is an arduous task to have to resign oneself to the idea that despite the efforts made to find the money to buy a home, it cannot be passed down to one’s own children.
Our Schools of Architecture have, in their ignorance, accepted the decision to “cancel history”. Our teachers have decided not to teach architecture any longer in favor of more lucrative industrial design. Little by little, our specialized workers have lost their customers because there were no longer any architects capable of offering them work… and little by little, they were dwindling away.
Now, given this situation in its entirety, even the ancient heritage is being undermined. It is more and more difficult and expensive to find the personnel capable of performing manual work to restore historical buildings. Unless this situation is reversed, and there is a rude awakening, it will no longer be possible to restore our artistic treasure. In the light of all that, I wonder how we can speak of modernity in relation to the Architecture of the century that has just ended?

L'articolo Architettura e Urbanistica. Istruzioni per l’uso / Architecture and Town Planning. Operating Instruction proviene da Gangemi.

In the early post-war period, our cities spread out without any control. Development was based on planning forecasts, not actual data, to the joy, as usual, of town planners! These forecasts have always been blown out of proportion in the interest of land speculation, and they have caused the image of the city to lose any recognizable form that would help us to understand its boundaries. This development has led to the swallowing up of an infinite amount of territory, which was once devoted to farming or forestry. This city or town was designed in accordance with the town-planning “laws” in effect. It was designed in terms of homogeneous, single-function zones, – so-called zoning – and its “residential districts” have lost any and every possible urban meaning: no more squares, open areas, broad areas, shops and activities that would encourage people to socialize, just huge “barracks”, broad streets, parking lots and shopping centers. Anyone who lives in these so-called “districts” is obliged to drive to work, take the children to school by car, shop, reach a “park” where the children can play, by car, or, get to the center in search of all these places and activities that modern planning has deprived them of! As a result, traffic congestion prevails. People who no longer use their own two legs become obese, since they use mechanical means” to move about. What will happen when all that is no longer possible, because reserves have run out? Parting from these premises, I wanted to try making a series of observations aimed at bringing about a reversal in the trend of conceiving, developing and living in our cities and towns, before it is too late. I am sure that this little book of mine might be considered the work of a madman, but I am also sure that, in the long run, opinions must change, since the world has no other choice. In the nineteen seventies, the comedian, Marcello Marchesi came out with a gag which sounded more or less like this: “mankind was born to suffer … and did everything it could to succeed in doing so!”.

Ettore Maria Mazzola è nato a Barletta (Italia) il 17 luglio 1965; nel 1992 si è laureato in Architettura presso l’Università “La Sapienza” di Roma, dove dal 1993 collabora come assistente universitario. Dal 2001 insegna “Storia dell’Urbanistica di Roma Antica e Moderna” e “Progettazione”, in qualità di Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture, presso la University of Notre Dame School of Architecture Rome Studies Program. Dal 1993 esercita la libera professione di Architetto. Nel 1993 ha ricevuto una Borsa di Studio in Urbanistica, dal Ministero degli Affari Esteri, per un Programma Estivo presso la l’Università “Savaria” di Szombathely in Ungheria; nel 1995 ha vinto una Borsa di Studio del Prince of Wales’ Insitute of Architecture per la Summer School “Task Force for the City Civilized” Rome – Caprarola – Biarritz; nel 1996 ha rappresentato il Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture per il progetto “Riqualificazione dell’area dell’Oktober Theatre di San Pietroburgo”; ancora nel 1997 ha rappresentato il Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture per il progetto “Riqualificazione dell’Area di Santa Maria in Gradi di Viterbo”; nel 1999-2000 ha fatto parte del team internazionale del Prince of Wales’ Alumni Foundation per la progettazione del nuovo Borgo Fonti di Matilde presso Reggio Emilia (capogruppo Piercarlo Bontempi: nel 2001 il progetto ha ricevuto il premio del “Congress for New Urbanism” come miglior esempio di progettazione di un nuovo borgo); nel 2002 ha ricevuto la menzione speciale nel Concorso Internazionale di Architettura “Rione Rinascimento al Parco Talenti” in Roma; nel 2006, insieme a Samir Younés, Elisabetta Mannini, Vittorio Tortora e Paolo Vecchio, ha partecipato al Concorso Internazionale “Città di Pietra” e il loro progetto per Pantelleria è stato pubblicato e selezionato per l’esposizione alla Biennale di Venezia; nel 2006 è stato nominato membro del Comitato Accademico Internazionale dell’INTBAU per riscrivere la Carta di Venezia. Ha pubblicato diversi saggi di Architettura e di Urbanistica; insieme con Samir Younés ha pubblicato i libri: “Arpino – Un Nuovo Borgo” Alinea 2003; “Como – La Modernità della Tradizione” Gangemi 2003; “Artena – L’integrità urbana ritrovata” Gangemi 2003; “Barletta – La disfida urbana: Mare, Centro e Periferia” Gangemi 2005; “San Giorgio a Liri – Ricompattare la città dispersa” Gangemi 2005; ha inoltre pubblicato i libri “Contro Storia dell’Architettura Moderna – Roma 1900-1940”, Alinea 2004 e “Architettura e Urbanistica – Istruzioni per l’uso”, Gangemi 2006 con l’introduzione di Léon Krier; e gli articoli “Parigi oggi o Roma all’inizio del Novecento?” sul mensile Carta Etc. n°5/2005 e “Sacrificati da Rutelli sull’Ara Pacis” sul settimanale Carta Qui – Lazio e Roma, n°7/2006.

Ettore Maria Mazzola was born in Barletta (Italy) on July 17th, 1965; he took graduation in Architecture in 1992 at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” where, since 1993, he has taught as Assistant Professor. Since 2001 he has also worked as Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture Rome Studies Program. Since 1993 he has worked as an architect in Rome, too. In 1993 he received, from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Italy, a Bursary in Urbanism for the Summer Program of “Savaria” University of Szombathely (Hungary); in 1995 he won a Scholarship of the Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture for the Summer School “Task Force for the City Civilized” Rome – Caprarola – Biarritz; in 1996 he was one of the representative members of Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture for the Project “Urban Renewal of the area of the Oktober Theatre in St Petersburg”; again, in 1997 he was one of the representative members of the Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture for the Project “Urban Renewal of the area of S. Maria in Gradi in Viterbo” (Italy); in 1999-2000 he worked as one of the members of the international team of the Prince of Wales’ Alumni Foundation for the project of the New Neighbourhood Fonti di Matilde near Reggio Emilia (Italy) (team leader was Piercarlo Bontempi: in 2001 this project was rewarded with the Prize of “Congress for New Urbanism” as the best example of modern neighbourhood); in 2002 he received an honourable mention for his project in the International Competition of Architecture “Rione Rinascimento al Parco Talenti” in Rome; in 2006, the project for Pantelleria for the International Competition “Cities of Stones” made together with Samir Younés, Elisabetta Mannini, Vittorio Tortora and Paolo Vecchio, was rewarded with the publication and the exhibition at the Biennale of Venice; in 2006 was designed as member of the International Academic Committee of the INTBAU for The Venice Charter Revisited. He published several essays about Architecture and Urbanism; together with Samir Younés he edited the books: “Arpino – A New Neighbourhoods” Alinea 2003; “Como – The Modernity of Tradition” Gangemi 2003; “Artena – The recovery of urban integrity” Gangemi 2003; “Barletta – Sea-Centre and Periphery” Gangemi 2005; “San Giorgio a Liri – Re-integrating the dispersed city” Gangemi 2005; he also published the books “A counter history of modern architecture – Rome 1900-1940”, Alinea 2004 and “Architecture and Town Planning – Operating Instructions”, Gangemi 2006 with the introduction by Léon Krier; and the articles “Parigi oggi o Roma all’inizio del Novecento?” on the magazine Carta Etc. nr.5/2005 and “Sacrificati da Rutelli sull’Ara Pacis” on the magazine Carta Qui – Lazio e Roma, n°7/2006.

L'articolo Verso un’architettura sostenibile – Toward sustainable architecture proviene da Gangemi.

E. M. Mazzola è un architetto esperto di restauro e di progettazione architettonica e urbana, dal 2001 insegna presso la University of Notre Dame School of Architecture Rome Studies. Dal 2009 collabora anche con la University of Miami School of Architecture Rome Program. Nel 2006 è stato nominato membro del Comitato Scientifico Internazionale dell’INTBAU per riscrivere la Carta di Venezia. Nel 2009 è stato nominatoMember of the International Scientific Committee for Fifth International Conference on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Development organizzata dal Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Al-Fateh University, Libya in collaborazione con The Center for the Study of Architecture in the Arab Region (CSAAR) (3 – 5 November, 2009 Tripoli, Libya). E. M. Mazzola è autore di Contro Storia dell’Architettura Moderna, Roma 1900-1940 – A Counter History of Modern Architecture, Rome 1900-1940, Alinea 2004, Architettura e Urbanistica, Istruzioni per l’uso – Architecture and Town Planning, Operating Instructions, Gangemi 2006, prefazione di Léon Krier, Verso un’Architettura Sostenibile – Toward Sustainable Architecture, prefazione di Paolo Portoghesi, Gangemi 2007, e co-autore con Samir Younés dei libri: “Arpino. Un Nuovo Borgo – Arpino. A New Neighbourhood, Alinea 2003; “Como. La Modernità della Tradizione – Como. The Modernity of Tradition” Gangemi 2003; “Artena. L’integrità urbana ritrovata – Artena. The recovery of urban integrity” Gangemi 2003; “Barletta. La disfida urbana:Mare, Centro e Periferia – Barletta. Sea, Centre and Periphery” Gangemi 2005; “San Giorgio a Liri – Ricompattare la città dispersa – San Giorgio a Liri – Re-integrating the dispersed city” Gangemi 2005; ha inoltre pubblicato una serie di articoli su diverse riviste e giornali, tra cui “Parigi oggi o Roma all’inizio del Novecento?” sul mensile Carta Etc. n°5/2005, “Sacrificati da Rutelli sull’Ara Pacis” sul settimanale Carta Qui – Lazio e Roma, n°7/2006, e il recente “The Importance of Local Spirit and Sense of Place: Side Effects of the Underestimation in Modernist Town Planning” sull’Icfai University Journal of Architecture della Icfai University, Hyderabad, India, pubblicato anche dal Social Science Research Network nell’agosto 2009.

“The book I am proud to introduce here is very direct and well documented, as for the demonstration both of the scarce durability of contemporary housing, and of the absolute negativity of the contribution provided by it to our Country’s economy and ecology. All of this is cleverly supported by a very accurate historical summary, compiled by Mazzola, of the negative consequences – above all from the social point of view- of the war to the “traditionalism”, a phenomenon still present in a lot of Italian Schools of Architecture. The fact, proved by E.M. Mazzola with an extraordinary acumen and an exceptional documentary information, that in Italy “traditional housing could cost from 16,35% up to 40,74% less compared with current housing” it to be added to the fact that the building behavior’s models he quotes as virtuosos, that is the buildings of Garbatella and San Saba’s Roman quarters (now 80/100 years old) “have never been subjected to interventions of maintenance by the ownership, because they were wisely built according to traditional techniques”. Paolo Marconi

E. M. Mazzola is an architect expert of restoration and urban-architectural design, and since 2001 he teaches at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture Rome Studies. Since 2009 he also collaborates with the University of Miami School of Architecture Rome Program. In 2006 he was Member of the International Scientific Committee of the INTBAU for The Venice Charter Revisited. In 2009, member of the International Scientific Committee for Fifth International Conference on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Development Organized by Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Al-Fateh University, Libya In collaboration with The Center for the Study of Architecture in the Arab Region (CSAAR) (3 – 5 November, 2009 Tripoli, Libya). E. M. Mazzola is the author of Contro Storia dell’Architettura Moderna, Roma 1900-1940 – A Counter History of Modern Architecture, Rome 1900-1940, Alinea 2004, Architettura e Urbanistica, Istruzioni per l’uso – Architecture and Town Planning, Operating Instructions, Gangemi 2006, preface by Léon Krier, Verso un’Architettura Sostenibile – Toward Sustainable Architecture, preface by Paolo Portoghesi, Gangemi 2007, co-editor with Samir Younés of the books: “Arpino. Un Nuovo Borgo – Arpino. A New Neighbourhood, Alinea 2003; “Como. La Modernità della Tradizione – Como. The Modernity of Tradition” Gangemi 2003; “Artena. L’integrità urbana ritrovata – Artena. The recovery of urban integrity” Gangemi 2004; “Barletta. La disfida urbana: Mare, Centro e Periferia – Barletta. Sea, Centre and Periphery” Gangemi 2005; “San Giorgio a Liri – Ricompattare la città dispersa – San Giorgio a Liri – Re-integrating the dispersed city” Gangemi 2005; he also published a series of essays and articles on different magazines and newspapers, as “Parigi oggi o Roma all’inizio del Novecento?” published on the monthly newspaper Carta Etc. n°5/2005, “Sacrificati da Rutelli sull’Ara Pacis” published on the weekly newspaper Carta Qui – Lazio e Roma, n°7/2006, and the recent “The Importance of Local Spirit and Sense of Place: Side Effects of the Underestimation in Modernist Town Planning on the Icfai University Journal of Architecture of the Icfai University, Hyderabad, India, also published on the Social Science Research Network in August 2009.

L'articolo La città sostenibile è possibile / The sustainable city is possible proviene da Gangemi.