Old religious buildings and new uses. A difficult transformation process in the contemporary city

Abstract

The study aims to analyze the complex process that has invested the Italian religious buildings, after the post-unification period, bending them to new uses not always compatible with the characters and with the sacredness of the places. In the case submitted to analysis, the phenomenon of the old convents re-use, although developed during the twentieth century, today continues to exert its effect. The assets of the religious complex that has been used over time and today appears to be available again benefited, may represent an interesting opportunity for a revitalization of historic town, through the development of integrated programs of intervention. This strategy may allow to promote "best practices", enhancing the development of local identity. The objective to be pursued is represented by a sustainable reuse of large monastic spaces so that they can be projected into the future, through a fair and balanced relationship between conservation and innovation. The memory of a territory is indeed changing: the ability to adapt to the passage of time and to the unexpected nature of events is so paradigmatic a goal of civilization.