1,721,000 research outputs found
A denied fortress. The Sorrento castle and the transformations of the urban landscape
No full textSorrento historical centre stands as an urban palimpsest, characterized by stratified forms of architecture, ancient infrastructures and a complex natural landscape. It has undergone, over the centuries, to many urban interventions which have left traces in the history and on the architectural heritage. Although the city was equipped with walls and towers since the Roman period, it was in the 15th and 16th centuries that they were modernized and partially rebuilt because of the new needs of the artillery and in order to better resist to the Saracen attacks.
The Sorrento castle is part of this global strategy. It was built in 1459 by the Aragon King Ferrante I on the south-east side of the fortifications and transformed during the following centuries, as it can be seen from the rich iconographic documentation about the town. In 1799 it was damaged by French during the Neapolitan Republic while a few years later a restoration plan was proposed by the municipality. The advanced state of ruin of the castle and the public requirement for a larger square led to the final demolition in 1842. This event left a deep trace in Sorrento urban history and represents – as Max Dvořák stated about the XIX century city walls demolition phenomenon – the origin of the transfiguration of the modern city. In Sorrento, the destruction of the castle and the denial of the fortification system – which underlines the indifference to the historical architectural heritage and the lack of a wider conservation policy – corresponded to deep and drastic changes at urban scale.
Because of these considerations, the paper deepens the knowledge of the castle by analyzing the construction and the following transformations of the building, through the study of the iconographical and archival sources. In particular, the 19th century demolition project will be highlighted as a turning point in Sorrento urban development, by changing irremediably the strong relationships between architecture and historical landscape
Borghi storici, rovine, monumenti. Esperienze e prospettive di ricerca sui centri storici abbandonati in ambito italiano
Full text linkThe conservation of abandoned urban sites, increasingly widespread all over the Italian territory and mainly along the mountain slopes, represents a complex cultural challenge which includes cultural, psychological, economic, technical, as well as aesthetic and social issues. While the sudden or progressive abandonment has guaranteed, in some ways, the preservation of authentic material values, at the same time the possibility of exploiting the places again through the restoration of architecture and the improvement of conditions of accessibility is functional also for the protection of the built heritage and the intangible values that characterize it.Starting from this, the contribution focuses on a synoptic framework of interventions and strategies aimed at the redevelopment of partially or totally abandoned urban sites in Italy, concentrating attention on the goals of diverse choices for safeguarding historic heritage. The framework aims at defining an atlas of practices that, within the complex restorative approach, can provide useful cultural stimuli to calibrate interventions respecting the multiplicity of instances and values involved in historic heritage. Specific focus is, therefore, placed on the paradigmatic case of the abandoned village of Tocco Caudio near Benevento, the subject of a research program undertaken between 2012 and 2017 at the University of Naples Federico II, characterized by the construction of a “participatory” process of possible alternatives for intervention. Borghi storici, rovine, monumenti. Esperienze e prospettive di ricerca sui centri storici abbandonati in ambito italiano La conservazione di siti urbani in abbandono, sempre più diffusi sull’intero territorio italiano e principalmente lungo le pendici montuose, rappresenta una sfida culturale complessa nella quale rientrano istanze di ordine culturale, psicologico, economico, tecnico oltre che estetico e sociale. Se il repentino o progressivo abbandono delle architetture ha garantito, per certi versi, la conservazione della materia autentica e dei valori in essa contenuti, contestualmente la possibilità di fruire nuovamente dei luoghi, attraverso il restauro delle architetture e il miglioramento delle condizioni di accessibilità, diventa funzionale anche alla protezione del patrimonio costruito e dei valori immateriali che lo caratterizzano.A partire da ciò, il contributo intende mettere a fuoco un quadro sinottico di interventi e strategie tese alla riqualificazione di siti parzialmente o totalmente abbandonati in ambito italiano, concentrando l’attenzione sugli obiettivi che sostanziano le scelte per la salvaguardia del patrimonio costituito. Tale indagine mira alla definizione di un atlante di pratiche che, entro il complesso approccio restaurativo, possa fornire stimoli culturali utili a calibrare gli interventi nel rispetto della molteplicità delle istanze e dei valori coinvolti in tale patrimonio storico. Uno specifico focus è rivolto, quindi, al caso paradigmatico del borgo abbandonato di Tocco Caudio nel Beneventano, oggetto di un programma di ricerca condotto tra il 2012 e il 2017 nell’Università di Napoli Federico II e contraddistinto da un processo “partecipato” di costruzione delle possibili alternative di intervento.La conservazione di siti urbani in abbandono, sempre più diffusi sull’intero territorio italiano e principalmente lungo le pendici montuose, rappresenta una sfida culturale complessa nella quale rientrano istanze di ordine culturale, psicologico, economico, tecnico oltre che estetico e sociale. Se il repentino o progressivo abbandono delle architetture ha garantito, per certi versi, la conservazione della materia autentica e dei valori in essa contenuti, contestualmente la possibilità di fruire nuovamente dei luoghi, attraverso il restauro delle architetture e il miglioramento delle condizioni di accessibilità, diventa funzionale anche alla protezione del patrimonio costruito e dei valori immateriali che lo caratterizzano.A partire da ciò, il contributo intende mettere a fuoco un quadro sinottico di interventi e strategie tese alla riqualificazione di siti parzialmente o totalmente abbandonati in ambito italiano, concentrando l’attenzione sugli obiettivi che sostanziano le scelte per la salvaguardia del patrimonio costituito. Tale indagine mira alla definizione di un atlante di pratiche che, entro il complesso approccio restaurativo, possa fornire stimoli culturali utili a calibrare gli interventi nel rispetto della molteplicità delle istanze e dei valori coinvolti in tale patrimonio storico. Uno specifico focus è rivolto, quindi, al caso paradigmatico del borgo abbandonato di Tocco Caudio nel Beneventano, oggetto di un programma di ricerca condotto tra il 2012 e il 2017 nell’Università di Napoli Federico II e contraddistinto da un processo “partecipato” di costruzione delle possibili alternative di intervento. Small towns, ruins, monuments. Experiences and perspectives of research on abandoned historic centers in ItalyThe conservation of abandoned urban sites, increasingly widespread all over the Italian territory and mainly along the mountain slopes, represents a complex cultural challenge which includes cultural, psychological, economic, technical, as well as aesthetic and social issues. While the sudden or progressive abandonment has guaranteed, in some ways, the preservation of authentic material values, at the same time the possibility of exploiting the places again through the restoration of architecture and the improvement of conditions of accessibility is functional also for the protection of the built heritage and the intangible values that characterize it.Starting from this, the contribution focuses on a synoptic framework of interventions and strategies aimed at the redevelopment of partially or totally abandoned urban sites in Italy, concentrating attention on the goals of diverse choices for safeguarding historic heritage. The framework aims at defining an atlas of practices that, within the complex restorative approach, can provide useful cultural stimuli to calibrate interventions respecting the multiplicity of instances and values involved in historic heritage. Specific focus is, therefore, placed on the paradigmatic case of the abandoned village of Tocco Caudio near Benevento, the subject of a research program undertaken between 2012 and 2017 at the University of Naples Federico II, characterized by the construction of a “participatory” process of possible alternatives for intervention
Architecture and Proto Industry. Watermills in the historic peri-urban landscape of Benevento (Italy)
Full text linkThe landscape of Benevento is historically characterised by the presence of vernacular architectures which exploited the driving power of water for productive purposes. The abundance of watercourses and natural resources coupled with the large quantity of agricultural products enabled the development of a real protoindustrial centre, which was particularly active in southern Italy between the 18th and 19th centuries. Production activities linked to the manufacture of textiles and leather were flanked by a dense system of watermills. Situated in the proximity of the city walls and the town's main rivers, such watermills and their inherent complex network of canals have shaped the historic peri-urban landscape of Benevento over centuries. Thanks to the availability of numerous historical maps and archival drawings of mills, a link can be established between the past and what is currently visible in the area. The recognition of the physical traces of the mills and of the remains of the water adduction system deepens the knowledge of an unresolved strip of city territory that still retains a peri-urban character, being delimited on one side by the historic walls and on the other by the 20th century expansion of the city. In light of these considerations, this paper offers a new contribution to the study of the proto-industrial architectural heritage of Benevento, focusing on the
interpretation of material traces of the past with the purpose that their recognition could strengthen the identity of this part of the city
Transformations and Permanences of landscape and architecture: the Minerva Tower of Punta Campanella in the Sorrento-Amalfi Peninsula
Full text linkThe Minerva Tower is placed on the Punta Campanella chalky promontory, which is the last offshoot of the Sorrentine Peninsula and theatre of suggestive archaeological and mythological memories. The strategic position, which marks a watershed between the northern and southern coasts – the Neapolitan and Salerno gulfs – the proximity to the Capri island, contributed, throughout the centuries, to the settlement of important architectures, such as the sanctuary dedicated to Athena and a roman domus, which makes the area a complex and rich palimpsest of material stratifications.
The Minerva Tower – that nowadays is the main landmark of the promontory – was built in 1334 in relation to the site of the ancient temple of Athena. After ten years from the construction it was already restored, but the complete transformation of the architecture took place in 1566, as a consequence of the strengthening plan of the southern coasts against the Saracen attacks, which was planned by the Spanish viceroy don Pedro de Toledo. The tower had a square plan – because of the needs of the artillery – and was made up of calcareous stones. It had three floors, four embrasures and in the viceroyal plan represented an important strongpoint, which had to acted as a block. The viceroyal settlement was transformed throughout the further centuries by keeping, nevertheless, the continuity of the use like a fortress.
The paper will deepen the knowledge of the tower – which is interpreted as a complex system of centuries-old stratifications and in its relations to the uses of the landscape through the centuries. Starting from the analysis of the transformations during the viceroyal period, the following changes – compared to the settlement of the XVI century – and the hidden traces of that period which are preserved until today will be highlighted
Knowledge, Restoration and Preservation of Complex Cultural Landscapes between Tangible and Intangible Values. An in-progress Research in Sorrentine-Amalfi Peninsula
No full textAn interdisciplinary research program concerns the site of Crapolla, placed on the Southern side of the Sorrentine-Amalfi Peninsula and into the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area. The peculiarity of this cultural landscape is due to the full symbiosis among nature, with its botanical and hydrogeological components, the archaeological findings and the different architectures therein. The deep inlet of Crapolla includes, in fact, buildings referring to an ancient use of the place as port and as site for collecting and preserving foods and fresh water, as a big hydraulic structure also testifies. In continuity with these latter, there are forms of architecture dating back to the Middle Ages, consisting of the so-called monazeni and of the ruins of a Benedictine abbey complex. Finally, the site is dominated by a tower dating to the second half of the 16th century, proof of the strategic importance that the inlet takes in the historical landscape of the peninsula during post-medieval centuries. What is today visible defines, in the symbiosis between nature and architecture, a very complex but also very "fragile" cultural landscape with reference to natural and human actions. The high level of decay and the risk of loss in the absence of maintenance have determined, since 2008, an innovative experience (Crapolla Lab) in which didactics in architectural and landscape restoration is carried on with a strict connection with research. Therefore, interdisciplinary studies have examined several issues related to the knowledge both of the intangible values of assets − anthropological, literary and social ones − as of the physical-constructive aspects of the artifacts and of the natural environment. This with the aim of highlighting vulnerability factors and strategies compatible with a conservation planning of the site. At the same time, the Crapolla Lab has given the opportunity to trigger a sense of recognition by the local community towards the cultural site and to feel them the need to prevent the loss of the ancient evidences
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
- …
