The restoration of Baroque architectural heritage appears to be a core issue, from an operational point of view, within the wider framework of the conservation of historic town centres on which the current cultural debate has been focusing. Its relevance is particularly felt in some towns and regional areas. In Sicily, for example, during the 17th-18th centuries, the Baroque has deeply marked urban growth. Similarly, it characterises most of the Italian historic town centres and is able to qualify the connective fabric of the European urban heritage.
In addition to the yet complex problems linked to interventions on historic buildings, we must also consider the issues proper to an epoch made of great transformations – including urban and environmental changes - that signed the territory, sometimes going well beyond town borders.
In such a context, the ancient Val di Noto has been catalysing for the last fifteen years the attention of researchers and, in particular, of the Centro Internazionale di Studi sul Barocco, due to the exceptional features of such a homogeneous area of the European Baroque. Many initiatives and regulations at the national and regional levels have tried to invert the decay trend which seemed to be irreversible.
The recent inscription of the late Baroque towns of Val di Noto on the UNESCO World Heritage List gives a new significance – where awareness and urgent concern are raised - to the issue of their conservation and enhancement. It is also the reason why this volume is being published, in an attempt to suggest reflection cues and compare the different cultural and technical bodies concerned with restoration.
This last issue of the Annals gathers part of the essays that were produced during the VII International Course on History of Architecture, which took place in Siracusa and in the Val di Noto in December 2001. In order to provide a more exhaustive view of the analyses based on recent survey techniques, it also collects some unpublished essays that were either awarded or pointed out that year by the Commission for the University Degree Award on “Baroque culture and visual arts”.
We believe that this volume will become an essential reference for all those, whether researchers or protection bodies, who will be in charge of intervening on Sicilian Baroque heritage.