Il restauro dei giardini storici. Alcune osservazioni

This essay illustrates the architectural survey and the historical events of the Corsini complex in Albano Laziale. The complex is facing Via Appia, while the courtyard and the rear garden are shaped by terraces. This combination of architecture and nature, now owned by the municipality, shows an interesting production of the Roman eighteenth century, stratified by the numerous transformations that have affected its system over time. Built at the end of the 18th century by the will of Cardinal Andrea Corsini and Prince Bartolomeo Corsini, the rectangular building was designed by the architect Paolo Posi (1708-1776) assisted by Giuseppe Palazzi (1740-1810). Bought by Charles IV Bourbon (1748-1819), the building was enlarged with two lateral volumes designed by Giulio Camporese (1754-1840), who also created the garden’s stairways, decorated in this phase by the sculptor Ramón Barba (1767-1831). At the end of the nineteenth century, the architectural structure was purchased by the Fratelli delle Scuole Cristiane and used as a school, with significant variations in the distribution and fun ctional system, in the structure and in the decorative apparatus. Following the extensive damage suffered in the bombings of 1944, the complex has been subjected to heavy reconstruction works. The historical analysis and the consequent graphic restitution of the phases made possible to analyze the current physical consistency of the monument, favoring its understanding in terms of the articulation of spa ces, structures and ornamental apparatus. This investigation was also supported by thermographic analysis, the results of which are presented here. Thermography, in addition to providing useful data to establish a coherent diagnostic picture of surfaces, offers the possibility of verifying in a non-invasive way which transformations have been implemented in the past, showing the different materials and thus directing towards more conscious design choices. It is in fact possible to define the state of conservation of the work in its environment, taking into account the heterogeneity of the materials and the technological elements that compose it. The study on the Corsini complex in Albano ends with the formulation of some guidelines for the future restoration, regarding the architectural part and that of the garden. In fact, some proposals are expressed for the correct reuse of the monument which ensures the transmission to the future of its historical, artistic, naturalistic and botanical values.